The Cognition and VR research study aims to investigate how different virtual reality environments affect cognitive performance. The findings from this research study may help support stroke rehabilitation programs, where virtual reality has started being used to help stroke patients relearn daily life mobility.
In this study, we will record EEG, body movements and task performance while participants wear a VR headset and perform cognitive tasks in three virtual reality environments. The participants also answer the NASATLX questionnaire after each task is completed. The estimated duration of the experiment is approximately 60 minutes.
Experiment setup
The following information describes what the experiment setup will look like:
- Participants answer the short demographic questionnaire before the experiment. On the day of the experiment, participants sign a consent form and are introduced to the equipment (VR head-mounted display and controllers, EEG device) that will be used during the study. Explanation about the cognitive task and the NASATLX questionnaire will also be provided.
- We will assist participants in putting on the equipment and let them become immersed in the different VR environments while we gather baseline measurements.
- The experimental phase begins, and participants perform the cognitive tasks in VR environments, followed by the NASATLX questionnaire.
- We will assist the participant in removing the equipment.
Volunteer as a participant
Participation in the experiment is voluntary. You are eligible to participate if you are over 18 years old, have no history of neurological health conditions or disorders that affect your sensitivity to rapid changes in light and have normal or corrected to normal vision (using contact lenses).
Each participant will also receive a beer/soda and a snack as a token of appreciation for their help. If a participant has any questions or concerns about the experiment, they can express them freely at any point during the study. Participants can also withdraw their participation at any stage of the study.
Possible risks
Using VR head-mounted displays may induce dizziness and nausea due to the immersive nature of the device. Breaks will be provided if needed. There can also be rapid changes in light, so we cannot accept participants who are sensitive to these. Nevertheless, both VR head-mounted displays and EEG are safe, non-invasive equipment.
Data management, anonymity and confidentiality
All data gathered during the study is anonymised and confidential. All identifiable data will be deleted after the study completion, and anonymised data will be kept for further analysis. Data will be safely stored and only accessed by the students and the supervisor who are carrying out this research. If you are interested in receiving the final research results, we will ask you to provide your email and use it solely for this purpose, deleting it afterwards.
If you wish to withdraw your data from the study, you are free to do so by sending the authors an email by the 15th of June 2025. After this date, the data will be permanently anonymised, making it untraceable to a specific participant.
Questions
If you wish to know more or have questions about this research, feel free to contact the authors, Carolina Rodrigues Veloso (cvel@itu.dk), and Slobodan Separovic (slse@itu.dk).
Booking the experiment and preparation
We kindly ask participants to wash their hair on the day before the experiment. On the day of the experiment, please do not consume caffeinated beverages at least four hours before the experiment takes place. These measures will contribute towards optimal EEG data collection.