Reading Reality: Virtual Reality Hinders Real-world Gait And Balance Control Following Acute Exposure

The general population is rapidly adopting virtual reality (VR) technology for several applications related to education, such as reading. Recent research reports that many users suffer from negative visual symptoms, which can cause disorientation and downstream negative effects on gait and balance. Thus, as VR use expands it is essential to determine how prolonged VR exposure impacts real-world gait and balance control following use, and whether virtual environment (VE) design enhances or mitigates these effects. PURPOSE: The purpose of this ongoing study is to evaluate the acute effects of VR exposure and VE design on real-world gait and balance control following VR use. METHODS: 60 young, healthy participants read a story in one of three VEs for 45 minutes: 1) dark outer space (space), 2) a bright snowy landscape (snow), and 3) a cluttered library (library), which were selected based on their large differences in visual clutter and lighting. Before and following the reading task, participants were asked to perform three standing balance and two gait tasks of varying difficulty. Kinematic and kinetic data were collected during these tasks through an 8-camera 3D motion capture system and two force plates. These data were used to quantify standing balance metrics related to participants’ center of pressure (COP), as well as gait measurements such as velocity and margin of stability. RESULTS: Preliminary findings (n = 26) indicate that reading in all VEs impaired balance. Post-VR, participants exhibited a significantly greater degree of root mean square COP displacement in the medial/lateral (Pre = 0.002 m, Post = 0.0035 m, p < 0.001) and anterior/posterior directions (Pre = 0.004 m, Post = 0.006 m, p < 0.001) during quiet standing. Further, participants who read in any VE walked with a significantly greater margin of stability (Pre = 0.143 m, Post = 0.147 m, p < 0.001) following VR use and displayed a shorter single-leg standing reach distance (Pre = 0.95 m, Post = 0.81 m, p < 0.05). There was no significant main effect of VE type noted. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that VR has an VE-independent negative impact on real-world gait and balance following use. As VR use continues to expand, further studies must work towards better understanding the physiological impacts that it has on its users.