scholarly journals Disruption by virtual reality of the cortical oscillations related to visuotactile integration during an embodiment process

Author(s):  
Noriaki Kanayama ◽  
Masayuki Hara ◽  
Kenta Kimura

AbstractVirtual reality (VR) enables fast, free, and highly controllable experimental body image setting. Illusions pertaining to a body, like the rubber hand illusion (RHI), can be easily conducted in VR settings, and some phenomena, such as full-body illusions, are only realized in virtual environments. However, the multisensory integration process in VR is not yet fully understood, and we must clarify the limitations and whether specific phenomena can also occur in real life or only in VR settings. One useful investigative approach is measuring brain activities during a psychological experiment. Electroencephalography (EEG) oscillatory activities provide insight into the human multisensory integration process. Unfortunately, the data can be vulnerable to VR noise, which causes measurement and analytical difficulties for EEG data recorded in VR environments. Here, we took care to provide an experimental RHI setting using a head-mounted display, which provided a VR visual space and VR dummy hand along with EEG measurements. We compared EEG data taken in both real and VR environments and observed the gamma and theta band oscillatory activities. Ultimately, we saw statistically significant differences between congruent (RHI) and incongruent (not RHI) conditions in the real environment, which agrees with previous studies. No difference in the VR condition could be observed, suggesting that the VR setting itself altered the perceptual and sensory integration mechanisms. Thus, we must model this difference between real and VR settings whenever we use VR to investigate our bodily self-perception.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noriaki Kanayama ◽  
Masayuki Hara ◽  
Kenta Kimura

AbstractVirtual reality (VR) enables the fast, free, and highly controllable setting of experimental body images. Illusions pertaining to a body, such as the rubber hand illusion (RHI), can be easily conducted in VR settings, and some phenomena, such as full-body illusions, are only realized in virtual environments. However, the multisensory-integration process in VR is not yet fully understood. Thus, it remains to be clarified if specific phenomena that occur under VR settings manifest in real life as well. One useful investigative approach is measuring brain activities during a psychological experiment. Electroencephalography (EEG) oscillatory activities provide insight into the human multisensory integration process. Nevertheless, EEG data can be vulnerable to VR noise, which causes measurement and analytical difficulties for EEG data recorded in VR environments. Here, we achieve an experimental RHI setting using a head-mounted display that provides a VR visual space and VR dummy hand along with EEG measurements. We compared EEG data collected in both real and VR environments and observed the gamma and theta band oscillatory activities. Ultimately, we observed statistically significant differences between congruent (RHI) and incongruent (not RHI) conditions in the real environment, which is consistent with previous studies. Differences in the VR condition were observed only on the late theta band oscillation, suggesting that the VR setting itself altered the perceptual and sensory integration mechanisms. Thus, we must model this difference between real and VR settings whenever we use VR to investigate our bodily self-perception.



Author(s):  
Yu-Sheng Yang ◽  
Alicia M. Koontz ◽  
Yu-Hsuan Hsiao ◽  
Cheng-Tang Pan ◽  
Jyh-Jong Chang

Maneuvering a wheelchair is an important necessity for the everyday life and social activities of people with a range of physical disabilities. However, in real life, wheelchair users face several common challenges: articulate steering, spatial relationships, and negotiating obstacles. Therefore, our research group has developed a head-mounted display (HMD)-based intuitive virtual reality (VR) stimulator for wheelchair propulsion. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of this VR stimulator for wheelchair propulsion performance. Twenty manual wheelchair users (16 men and 4 women) with spinal cord injuries ranging from T8 to L2 participated in this study. The differences in wheelchair propulsion kinematics between immersive and non-immersive VR environments were assessed using a 3D motion analysis system. Subjective data of the HMD-based intuitive VR stimulator were collected with a Presence Questionnaire and individual semi-structured interview at the end of the trial. Results indicated that propulsion performance was very similar in terms of start angle (p = 0.34), end angle (p = 0.46), stroke angle (p = 0.76), and shoulder movement (p = 0.66) between immersive and non-immersive VR environments. In the VR episode featuring an uphill journey, an increase in propulsion speed (p < 0.01) and cadence (p < 0.01) were found, as well as a greater trunk forward inclination (p = 0.01). Qualitative interviews showed that this VR simulator made an attractive, novel impression and therefore demonstrated the potential as a tool for stimulating training motivation. This HMD-based intuitive VR stimulator can be an effective resource to enhance wheelchair maneuverability experiences.



2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 1308-1308
Author(s):  
James Hollis ◽  
James Oliver

Abstract Objectives The objective of this study was to a) determine the feasibility of eating in virtual reality (VR) environment while wearing a head mounted display (HMD) and b) determine the effect of eating in a virtual restaurant on food intake, sensory evaluation of the test food and masticatory parameters. Methods Fifteen adults were asked to report to the laboratory on two occasions, separated by at least one week, at their usual lunchtime. On reporting to the laboratory, surface electrodes were attached to the left and right masseter muscles to measure masticatory activity and a wristband placed on the non-dominant wrist to collect physiological data. The participant sat quietly for 5 minutes before a VR (HMD) was placed on their head. The HMD displayed either a virtual restaurant (pizzeria) or a blank scene (consisting of a white background and a table). The participant's hand movements were captured using an infrared camera mounted on the HMD so when the participant moved their hands this was represented by computer generated model hands in the VR scene. The test foods (pizza bites) were represented in VR using a 3D model of pizza bites. The test foods were arranged so that when the participant touched the test food model in the VR scene they touched the test food in real life allowing them to locate and pick up the test food. The participant was instructed to eat the test food until they felt comfortably full.  When the participant finished eating the equipment was removed and they completed questionnaires regarding their feelings of presence and experiences in the VR environment and their ratings of the test food attributes. Results Participants were able to successfully locate and eat the pizza rolls while in the VR environment. The participants feeling of presence was higher in the restaurant scene compared to the blank scene (P &lt; 0.05). Heart rate and skin temperature were higher in the restaurant scene (P &lt; 0.05). Differences in masticatory parameters were found with participants using fewer masticatory cycles before swallowing in the restaurant scene (P &lt; 0.05). There were no differences between scenes regarding the sensory evaluation of the test foods. There was no difference in food intake between the treatments. Conclusions Eating in VR is feasible and may provide a new method to understand eating behavior in different contexts. Funding Sources None.



2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (3-5) ◽  
pp. 207-234
Author(s):  
Kaitlyn R. Bankieris ◽  
Vikranth Rao Bejjanki ◽  
Richard N. Aslin

For synesthetes, sensory or cognitive stimuli induce the perception of an additional sensory or cognitive stimulus. Grapheme–color synesthetes, for instance, consciously and consistently experience particular colors (e.g., fluorescent pink) when perceiving letters (e.g.,u). As a phenomenon involving multiple stimuli within or across modalities, researchers have posited that synesthetes may integrate sensory cues differently than non-synesthetes. However, findings to date present mixed results concerning this hypothesis, with researchers reporting enhanced, depressed, or normal sensory integration for synesthetes. In this study wequantitativelyevaluated the multisensory integration process of synesthetes and non-synesthetes using Bayesian principles, rather than employing multisensory illusions, to make inferences about the sensory integration process. In two studies we investigated synesthetes’ sensory integration by comparing human behavior to that of an ideal observer. We found that synesthetes integrated cues for both continuous and categorical dimensions in a statistically optimal manner, matching the sensory integration behavior of controls. These findings suggest that synesthetes and controls utilize similar cue integration mechanisms, despite differences in how they perceive unimodal stimuli.



Author(s):  
Majid Zare Bidaki ◽  
Bentolhoda Mousavi ◽  
Alireza Ehteshampour

Psychosis, which is defined as the loss of contact with external reality, is a subjective and complex experience that has two major presentations: delusions and hallucinations. Delusions are defined in a spectrum from overvalued ideas that can be considered as the upper extreme of normal limits, to the presence of crystallised, systematic ideas, without any external proof that clearly interferes with the experiencer’s life. The same is true for hallucinations, as it can be experienced by any person in some point of their life or it can be multimodal which dominates the thinking process and leads to verbal or behavioural response. Despite the prevalence of both experiences, and even though medical students participate in theory-based education as well as apprenticeship in psychiatric wards, they find the experience non-tangible and difficult to digest. Improvement in technology has led to development of computer programmes, such as virtual reality (VR), by which the sense of immersion is induced in a simulated environment through combining sensory inputs with computer-generated graphics and effects and mostly is used through a head-mounted display. Constructivist movements have placed emphasis on active learning and visual-spatial abilities in education and VR has paved the way for its practical application. In this research project, along with producing an authentic virtual psychotic experience according to patients’ real-life experiences, we aim to assess its efficacy in improving knowledge, attitude and empathy towards people with psychotic experience, in comparison with the current method of education.   Keywords: Virtual reality, psychotic experience, simulation, medical education, e-learning.



2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 501-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Viaud-Delmon ◽  
Olivier Warusfel ◽  
Angeline Seguelas ◽  
Emmanuel Rio ◽  
Roland Jouvent

AbstractThe primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of auditory feedback in a VR system planned for clinical use and to address the different factors that should be taken into account in building a bimodal virtual environment (VE). We conducted an experiment in which we assessed spatial performances in agoraphobic patients and normal subjects comparing two kinds of VEs, visual alone (Vis) and auditory–visual (AVis), during separate sessions. Subjects were equipped with a head-mounted display coupled with an electromagnetic sensor system and immersed in a virtual town. Their task was to locate different landmarks and become familiar with the town. In the AVis condition subjects were equipped with the head-mounted display and headphones, which delivered a soundscape updated in real-time according to their movement in the virtual town. While general performances remained comparable across the conditions, the reported feeling of immersion was more compelling in the AVis environment. However, patients exhibited more cybersickness symptoms in this condition. The result of this study points to the multisensory integration deficit of agoraphobic patients and underline the need for further research on multimodal VR systems for clinical use.



Author(s):  
Jacob M. Read ◽  
Jason J. Saleem

Training can be expensive, dangerous, or impractical for certain situations. Virtual reality (VR) technology could be utilized to reduce the negative aspects of real-life training and the consequences incurred from inadequate training. However, for VR to be an effective training method, it must reflect reality to a certain extent. We measured task performance and situation awareness for parking situations with 15 participants in a real-world environment, and in a virtual environment using a VR headset and a flat screen computer monitor separately. Results revealed no significant difference in driver situation awareness between the reality, VR, and flat screen conditions. Performance in terms of task time was significantly less with the reality condition compared to the others. Therefore, the VR device was not equivalent to the real-world environment for training purposes. We discuss ways in which improvements to the VR training condition may increase the effectiveness of VR-based training.



2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasia Pavlidou ◽  
Sebastian Walther

Movement abnormalities are prevalent across all stages of schizophrenia contributing to poor social functioning and reduced quality of life. To date, treatments are scarce, often involving pharmacological agents, but none have been shown to improve movement abnormalities effectively. Virtual reality (VR) is a tool used to simulate virtual environments where behavioral performance can be quantified safely across different tasks while exerting control over stimulus delivery, feedback and measurement in real time. Sensory information is transmitted via a head mounted display allowing users to directly interact with virtual objects and bodies using gestures and body movements in the real world to perform different actions, permitting a sense of immersion in the simulated virtual environment. Although, VR has been widely used for successful motor rehabilitation in a variety of different neurological domains, none have been exploited for motor rehabilitation in schizophrenia. The objectives of this article are to review movement abnormalities specific to schizophrenia, and how VR can be utilized to restore and improve motor functioning in patients with schizophrenia. Constructing VR-mediated motor-cognitive interventions that can help in retaining and transferring the learned outcomes to real life are also discussed.





2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 3090
Author(s):  
Sangwook Yoo ◽  
Cheongho Lee ◽  
Seongah Chin

To experience a real soap bubble show, materials and tools are required, as are skilled performers who produce the show. However, in a virtual space where spatial and temporal constraints do not exist, bubble art can be performed without real materials and tools to give a sense of immersion. For this, the realistic expression of soap bubbles is an interesting topic for virtual reality (VR). However, the current performance of VR soap bubbles is not satisfying the high expectations of users. Therefore, in this study, we propose a physically based approach for reproducing the shape of the bubble by calculating the measured parameters required for bubble modeling and the physical motion of bubbles. In addition, we applied the change in the flow of the surface of the soap bubble measured in practice to the VR rendering. To improve users’ VR experience, we propose that they should experience a bubble show in a VR HMD (Head Mounted Display) environment.



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