Clinical Trial Summary
Cybersickness (CS) is characterized as a type of visually induced motion sickness, similar to
traditional motion sickness, with specific clinical presentations such as dizziness,
eyestrain, oculomotor disorders, blurred vision and spatial disorientation. It can be
triggered when experiencing virtual reality (VR), and it affects approximately 20% to 80% of
individuals who use these resources. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms of CS are not
fully understood and the use of virtual environments that have become increasingly recurrent
in several sectors deserves attention, as VR is becoming commonplace in methods and
techniques of assessment, diagnosis and treatment. Objective: to analyze cortical
electrophysiological activity using electroencephalography (EEG) in individuals with SC,
under the influence of different audiovisual conditions. Methodology: The study is a
double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial, the sample for survey satisfaction N= 10
participants, the public were university students from the Universidade Federal do Delta
Parnaíba (UFDPar) of both sexes, aged between 18 to 28 years, those who agreed, underwent
screening, those who met the criteria and fit, were randomized and allocated to one each of
02 conditions, (C1 - video only) and (C2 - associated with binaural audio), three times in
each condition, with a duration of 10 minutes of immersion, with evaluation (pre) before
(post) with QEEG and Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ), exposure to virtual content was on regular
alternate days, with a 24-hour interval between each virtual exposure, at the end of each
condition, there will be a 14-day washout and crossover between the conditions. The study
will be carried out under all cleaning and prevention care in the fight against the Covid-19
pandemic, data collection will be at the Brain Mapping and Functionality Laboratory (LAMCEF)
of the Federal University of Delta do Parnaíba, Piauí, Brazil. Results: The condition with
binaural stimulation is expected to promote neuromodulation and reduction of CS symptoms,
compared to the control condition.
Objectives
General Objective
• Analyze whether the electrophysiological activity of the brain cortex of individuals with
cybersickness undergoes neuromodulation through binaural stimuli;
Specific Objectives
- Investigate whether stimulation by binaural beats can mitigate the degree of symptoms
through the SSQ;
- Compare whether there is a significant reduction in Sickness Questionare Simulator
scores between conditions;
- Check if there is a difference in absolute power in the Delta band frequency of the
parietal and frontal regions between the conditions;
Hypothesis
Our hypothesis is that the condition associated with binaural beats can promote
neuromodulation in the electrophysiological activity of the brain cortex, altering the
rhythms of brain wave frequencies, which can reduce sensory conflict in cybersickness,
through wave entrainment.
