07 | Proposed research method: investigating the effects of auditory beat stimulation and music on virtual reality sickness

Narmada U^1,2, Prakash N^1,2, Russo F^1,2, Keshavarz B^1,2 | ¹KITE - Toronto Rehabilitation Institute; ²University Health Network, Toronto, Canada

Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used in rehabilitation, training, and research, but VR sickness remains a barrier. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) plays an important role in the experience of VR sickness, leading to physiological changes like increased heart rate and sweating. Auditory beat stimulation (ABS) in the theta range (4–8 Hz) may help reduce SNS activity and VR sickness symptoms. Building on the known benefits of music and the iso-principle, this study aims to explore ABS combined with music as an innovative approach to mitigate VR sickness. A total of 96 participants will be randomly assigned to one of four groups: ABS only, music only, ABS + music, or pink noise (control). Participants will initially rate their current mood (arousal and valence), guiding the selection of the audio track that follows the iso-principle. All participants will view a 15-minute VR stimulus while listening to the assigned audio. Motion sickness and anxiety will be assessed, along with physiological measures including skin conductance, heart rate, and respiration rate. We hypothesize that music, especially when combined with ABS, will reduce VR sickness symptoms more effectively than the control condition. This study will investigate a novel intervention for VR sickness using ABS. The findings will have the potential to improve the experience and comfort of VR in fields where it is growing in popularity but is limited by VR sickness. The study will also offer insights into the role the SNS plays in VR sickness.