The role of virtual reality and sound in ındividuals with motion sickness

Abstract Background Motion sickness (MS) is a physiological condition caused by mismatched sensory input, particularly among the vestibular, visual, and somatosensory systems. While the visual system has traditionally been considered the primary contributor to MS, recent studies suggest that auditory input may also influence symptom onset and severity. However, there is limited research examining how different types of sound affect individuals with MS. Methods This study was conducted with 15 individuals diagnosed with motion sickness (12 female, 3 male) at Istanbul Medipol University Audiology Laboratory. Participants completed the Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire (MSSQ) prior to inclusion. Over four sessions, participants engaged in a motion-based game under four randomized auditory conditions: silence, game’s original sound, white noise (WN), and theta binaural beats (TBB). In each session, heart rate and optokinetic test data were collected before and after gameplay. Post-session, participants also completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Each session featured a different auditory condition. Results Exposure to TBB resulted in significantly lower anxiety scores compared to other sound conditions ( p ≤ 0.012). Heart rate increase was also less pronounced, and participants completed the task in a shorter duration ( p ≤ 0.012). Optokinetic gain values showed a statistically significant increase after task completion ( p < 0.05). Conclusion The findings indicate that theta binaural beats can effectively reduce anxiety and help regulate physiological responses in individuals experiencing motion sickness. These results suggest that specific auditory stimulation may be beneficial in managing motion-related discomfort.