A doença do movimento visualmente induzida ocasionada pela realidade virtual interfere na atividade cortical durante a visualização de tarefas sacádicas de tomada de decisão orientadas por estimulos luminosos.

Abstract

Visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) is a generic term used to refer to a specific type of traditional movement disease known as Kinetosis. In virtual environments, it has been titled as cybersickness with side effects, such as eye fatigue, dizziness and nausea plus difficulty concentrating. Thus, the present study aims to demonstrate how the VIMS, caused by the virtual reality, interferes in the cortical activity during the visualization of luminous stimuli for the formation of the visual-saccadic decision by means of the electroencephalography having as reference the analysis of the absolute power of the beta band parietal and occipital. For this, 32 female participants, right-handed and with a mean age of 23.3 ± 3.2 years, were divided into control group (CG) and experimental group (EG), who developed VIMS. The participants performed 120 light stimuli, then made use of virtual reality and repeated the tracks again. The results demonstrated a statistically significant difference in the absolute power of the parietal and occipital beta bands bilaterally in the CG (p <0.001) and in the right occipital cortex in the EG (p <0.05), and the activity of this band in the CG remained higher during the whole task in relation to the CG. The study suggests that virtual reality causes a cognitive overload and an increase in the demand for visual attention to perform the task in both groups, and in individuals who are sensitive to VIMS the light stimulus itself can trigger sensory conflict.