A study on the mitigating effect of different music types on motion sickness based on EEG analysis

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Motion sickness significantly impacts passenger experience, causing negative emotions and physical symptoms like nausea.
• While music is known to affect emotions, its specific impact on motion sickness and the comparative effectiveness of different music genres remain under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of different music types in alleviating motion sickness.
• To develop and utilize an Electroencephalogram (EEG)-based model for recognizing motion sickness states.

Main Methods:

• Collected EEG data from 30 subjects in a simulated driving environment.
• Developed a motion sickness recognition model using time- and frequency-domain EEG features and classification algorithms.
• Assessed the intervention effects of four music genres (joyful, sad, stirring, soft) and a control group on motion sickness.

Main Results:

• Soft and joyful music demonstrated the highest efficacy in reducing motion sickness symptoms (56.7% and 57.3% reduction, respectively).
• Stirring and sad music showed moderate effects (48.3% and 40% reduction), with sad music performing worse than the control group (43.3% reduction).
• EEG complexity in the occipital region was negatively correlated with motion sickness severity (p = -0.625, p < 0.005).

Conclusions:

• Personalized music interventions can effectively alleviate motion sickness symptoms.
• Implementing music-based strategies can enhance passenger comfort and overall travel experience.