A Case Study on the Effectiveness of tDCS to Reduce CyberSickness in Subjects with Dizziness
10.18857/jkpt.2024.36.1.39
- Author:
Chang Ju KIM
1
;
Yoon Tae HWANG
;
Yu Min KO
;
Seong Ho YUN
;
Sang Seok YEO
Author Information
1. Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Science, Cheongju University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
- Publication Type:Original Article
- From:
Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
2024;36(1):39-44
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Purpose:Cybersickness is a type of motion sickness induced by virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) environments that presents symptoms including nausea, dizziness, and headaches. This study aimed to investigate how cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) alleviates motion sickness symptoms and modulates brain activity in individuals experiencing cybersickness after exposure to a VR environment.
Methods:This study was performed on two groups of healthy adults with cybersickness symptoms. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive either cathodal tDCS intervention or sham tDCS intervention. Brain activity during VR stimulation was measured by 38-channel functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). tDCS was administered to the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) for 20 minutes at an intensity of 2mA, and the severity of cybersickness was assessed pre- and post-intervention using a simulator sickness questionnaire (SSQ).Result: Following the experiment, cybersickness symptoms in subjects who received cathodal tDCS intervention were reduced based on SSQ scores, whereas those who received sham tDCS showed no significant change. fNIRS analysis revealed that tDCS significantly diminished cortical activity in subjects with high activity in temporal and parietal lobes, whereas high cortical activity was maintained in these regions after intervention in subjects who received sham tDCS.
Conclusion:These findings suggest that cathodal tDCS applied to the right TPJ region in young adults experiencing cybersickness effectively reduces motion sickness induced by VR environments.
