scholarly journals Effects of Virtual Reality-Based Relaxation Techniques on Psychological, Physiological, and Biochemical Stress Indicators

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1729
Author(s):  
Eglė Mazgelytė ◽  
Virginija Rekienė ◽  
Edita Dereškevičiūtė ◽  
Tomas Petrėnas ◽  
Jurgita Songailienė ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Galvanic Skin Response ◽  
Random Sequence ◽  
Relaxation Techniques ◽  
Relaxation Methods ◽  
Stress Indicators ◽  
Management Intervention ◽  
Skin Response ◽  
Physiological And Biochemical

Various relaxation techniques could benefit from merging with virtual reality (VR) technologies, as these technologies are easily applicable, involving, and user-friendly. To date, it is unclear which relaxation technique using biofeedback combined with VR technology is the most effective. The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of brief VR-based biofeedback-assisted relaxation techniques including electroencephalographic biofeedback, mindfulness-based biofeedback, galvanic skin response biofeedback, and respiratory biofeedback. Forty-three healthy volunteers (age 34.7 ± 7.2 years), comprising 28 (65%) women and 15 (35%) men, were enrolled in the study. All the participants were exposed to four distinct relaxation sessions according to a computer-generated random sequence. The efficacy of relaxation methods was evaluated by examining psychological, physiological, and biochemical stress indicators. All VR-based relaxation techniques reduced salivary steroid hormone (i.e., cortisol, cortisone, and total glucocorticoid) levels and increased galvanic skin response values. Similarly, all interventions led to a significantly reduced subjectively perceived psychological strain level. Three out of the four interventions (i.e., electroencephalographic, respiratory, and galvanic skin response-based biofeedback relaxation sessions) resulted in a decreased self-reported fatigue level. We suggest that newly developed VR-based relaxations techniques are potential tools for stress reduction and might be particularly suitable for individuals who are not capable of adhering to a strict and time-consuming stress management intervention schedule.

Galvanic Skin Response As a Measure of Engagement During Play in Virtual Reality

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roni Barak Ventura ◽  
Maurizio Porfiri
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Galvanic Skin Response ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Experimental Setting ◽  
Information Theoretic ◽  
Emotional Processes ◽  
Skin Response ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
Under Performing ◽  
Physiological Correlate

Abstract Competition is a common design strategy used to enhance user engagement and participation. However, it remains unclear how winning or losing might influence player’s engagement. In a recent study, we used behavioral metrics to quantify player engagement during competitive gameplay in virtual reality. To control for players’ status of winning or losing, we programmed a virtual opponent to either under-perform, over-perform, or tie with them. We conducted a series of experiments and found that players’ engagement was higher when they were losing, compared to when they played alone. Nevertheless, players’ engagement did not change during competition with an under-performing or equally-performing opponent. By applying the information-theoretic notion of transfer entropy, we unveiled a causal relationships between relative performance and engagement, whereby players monitored the scores and adapted their behavior accordingly. However, behavioral metrics are not detached from volition and may be influenced by confounding factors. This limitation is addressed by the use of physiological metrics, which offer largely unbiased measurements of cognitive and emotional processes. In the present study, we sought to strengthen our prior findings by measuring engagement with a physiological correlate. We conducted experiments in the same experimental setting and we measured players’ galvanic skin response during competition. We discovered that players’ skin conductance was higher when they were outperformed by their opponent, indicating that they were experiencing less flow. The results inform the design of technology-mediated applications toward sustaining user engagement and participation.

scholarly journals Multimodal-Multisensory Experiments

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moein Razavi ◽  
Takashi Yamauchi ◽  
Vahid Janfaza ◽  
Anton Leontyev ◽  
Shanle Longmire-Monford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Response Time ◽  
Galvanic Skin Response ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
Human Mind ◽  
Body Motion ◽  
Mouse Cursor ◽  
Skin Response ◽  
Electroencephalogram Eeg

The human mind is multimodal. Yet most behavioral studies rely on century-old measures of behavior—task accuracy and latency (response time). Multimodal and multisensory analysis of human behavior creates a better understanding of how the mind works. The problem is that designing and implementing these experiments is technically complex and costly. This paper introduces versatile and economical means of developing multimodal-multisensory human experiments. We provide an experimental design framework that automatically integrates and synchronizes measures including electroencephalogram (EEG), galvanic skin response (GSR), eye-tracking, virtual reality (VR), body movement, mouse/cursor motion and response time. Unlike proprietary systems (e.g., iMotions), our system is free and open-source; it integrates PsychoPy, Unity and Lab Streaming Layer (LSL). The system embeds LSL inside PsychoPy/Unity for the synchronization of multiple sensory signals—gaze motion, electroencephalogram (EEG), galvanic skin response (GSR), mouse/cursor movement, and body motion—with low-cost consumer-grade devices in a simple behavioral task designed by PsychoPy and a virtual reality environment designed by Unity. This tutorial shows a step-by-step process by which a complex multimodal-multisensory experiment can be designed and implemented in a few hours. When conducting the experiment, all of the data synchronization and recoding of the data to disk will be done automatically.

Effect of Perceived Control on Stress Reduction in Pedodontic Patients

1973 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 1261-1264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norman L. Corah
Keyword(s):  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Perceived Control ◽  
Galvanic Skin Response ◽  
High Stress ◽  
Stress Conditions ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Complex Relationship ◽  
Signaling Device ◽  
Dental Procedures ◽  
Skin Response

A signaling device was given to patients to reduce stress in the dental chair. Galvanic skin response during the dental procedures indicated a complex relationship. Patients with the signaling device showed less arousal under high stress conditions but somewhat higher arousal under low stress conditions when compared with a control group.

scholarly journals Cybersickness Testing Of Gender And Experience Factors Using Virtual Reality

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-69
Author(s):  
Ancella Hendrika ◽  
Clara Theresia ◽  
Thedy Yogasara
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Galvanic Skin Response ◽  
Measuring Instruments ◽  
Simulator Sickness ◽  
Sports Industry ◽  
Measurement Results ◽  
Skin Response ◽  
Simulator Sickness Questionnaire

One of the technologies that people are starting to get interested in is virtual reality (VR). VR is widely used as a means of entertainment, even more so at this time, the e-sports industry is developing rapidly. However, the use of VR can cause cybersickness, a disease arising from sensory and perceptual mismatches between the visual and vestibular systems. The emergence of cybersickness can be related to gender and experience using VR. There have been studies on cybersickness, but the results obtained had not come to the same conclusion. This research aims to identify the effect of gender and experience using VR, predict the timing of cybersickness by using physiological measurements, and provide recommendations that can minimize cybersickness in activities using VR. The measuring instruments used are the galvanic skin response (GSR) and a simulator sickness questionnaire (SSQ). In this study, the influence test is conducted by using ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis to determine whether gender and experience using VR affect the potential for cybersickness. Based on the GSR measurement results, it found that gender and experiences of using VR do not affect a person's potential for cybersickness. From the result of SSQ measurement, gender does not affect the cybersickness, but the experience of using VR affected a person's potential for cybersickness. Qualitatively, cybersickness symptoms appear in the 15-20 minutes after the VR game has set in. Therefore, it is recommended to limit the usage of VR to less than 15 to 20 minutes per session. Keywords: cybersickness, galvanic skin response (GSR), simulator sickness questionnaire (SSQ), virtual reality

scholarly journals Multimodal-Multisensory Experiments: Design and Implementation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moein Razavi ◽  
Takashi Yamauchi ◽  
Vahid Janfaza ◽  
Anton Leontyev ◽  
Shanle Longmire-Monford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Response Time ◽  
Galvanic Skin Response ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
Human Mind ◽  
Body Motion ◽  
Mouse Cursor ◽  
Skin Response ◽  
Electroencephalogram Eeg

AbstractThe human mind is multimodal. Yet most behavioral studies rely on century-old measures of behavior - task accuracy and latency (response time). Multimodal and multisensory analysis of human behavior creates a better understanding of how the mind works. The problem is that designing and implementing these experiments is technically complex and costly. This paper introduces versatile and economical means of developing multimodal-multisensory human experiments. We provide an experimental design framework that automatically integrates and synchronizes measures including electroencephalogram (EEG), galvanic skin response (GSR), eye-tracking, virtual reality (VR), body movement, mouse/cursor motion and response time. Unlike proprietary systems (e.g., iMotions), our system is free and open-source; it integrates PsychoPy, Unity and Lab Streaming Layer (LSL). The system embeds LSL inside PsychoPy/Unity for the synchronization of multiple sensory signals - gaze motion, electroencephalogram (EEG), galvanic skin response (GSR), mouse/cursor movement, and body motion - with low-cost consumer-grade devices in a simple behavioral task designed by PsychoPy and a virtual reality environment designed by Unity. This tutorial shows a step-by-step process by which a complex multimodal-multisensory experiment can be designed and implemented in a few hours. When conducting the experiment, all of the data synchronization and recoding of the data to disk will be done automatically.

scholarly journals Virtual reality-based relaxation for enhancement of perioperative well-being and quality of life: protocol for a randomised pilot trial

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. e044193
Author(s):  
Matthias Christian Schrempf ◽  
Julian Quirin Petzold ◽  
Hugo Vachon ◽  
Morten Aagaard Petersen ◽  
Johanna Gutschon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Sample Size ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Pilot Trial ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Coping Resources ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Sample Size Calculations

IntroductionPatients with cancer undergoing surgery often suffer from reduced quality of life and various forms of distress. Untreated distress can negatively affect coping resources as well as surgical and oncological outcomes. A virtual reality-based stress reduction intervention may increase quality of life and well-being and reduce distress in the perioperative phase for patients with cancer. This pilot trial aims to explore the feasibility of the proposed intervention, assess patient acceptability and obtain estimates of effect to provide data for sample size calculations.Methods and analysisPatients with colorectal cancer and liver metastasis undergoing elective surgery will be recruited for this single-centre, randomised pilot trial with a three-arm design. A total of 54 participants will be randomised at 1:1:1 ratio to one of two intervention groups or a control receiving standard treatment. Those randomised to an intervention group will either receive perioperative virtual reality-based stress reduction exercises twice daily or listen to classical music twice daily. Primary feasibility outcomes are number and proportions of participants recruited, screened, consented and randomised. Furthermore, adherence to the intervention, compliance with the completion of the quality of life questionnaires and feasibility of implementing the trial procedures will be assessed. Secondary clinical outcomes are measurements of the effectiveness of the interventions to inform sample size calculations.Ethics and disseminationThe study protocol, the patient information and the informed consent form have been approved by the ethics committee of the Ludwigs-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany (Reference Number: 19–915). Study findings will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration numberDRKS00020909.

scholarly journals Cybersickness in current-generation virtual reality head-mounted displays: systematic review and outlook

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Polona Caserman ◽  
Augusto Garcia-Agundez ◽  
Alvar Gámez Zerban ◽  
Stefan Göbel
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Subjective Evaluation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Current Generation ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Head Mounted Displays ◽  
Skin Response ◽  
Golden Standard

AbstractCybersickness (CS) is a term used to refer to symptoms, such as nausea, headache, and dizziness that users experience during or after virtual reality immersion. Initially discovered in flight simulators, commercial virtual reality (VR) head-mounted displays (HMD) of the current generation also seem to cause CS, albeit in a different manner and severity. The goal of this work is to summarize recent literature on CS with modern HMDs, to determine the specificities and profile of immersive VR-caused CS, and to provide an outlook for future research areas. A systematic review was performed on the databases IEEE Xplore, PubMed, ACM, and Scopus from 2013 to 2019 and 49 publications were selected. A summarized text states how different VR HMDs impact CS, how the nature of movement in VR HMDs contributes to CS, and how we can use biosensors to detect CS. The results of the meta-analysis show that although current-generation VR HMDs cause significantly less CS ($$p<0.001$$ p < 0.001 ), some symptoms remain as intense. Further results show that the nature of movement and, in particular, sensory mismatch as well as perceived motion have been the leading cause of CS. We suggest an outlook on future research, including the use of galvanic skin response to evaluate CS in combination with the golden standard (Simulator Sickness Questionnaire, SSQ) as well as an update on the subjective evaluation scores of the SSQ.

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