Assessing cybersickness in a Virtual Reality intervention among older adults living in nursing homes: a feasibility study.

Abstract

Objects: Virtual Reality (VR) is a potential tool in geriatric rehabilitation and ageing care: VR activities may enhance activity level well-being of older adults in nursing homes. Given the specific vulnerability of older adults, it is crucial to assess potential side effects such as cybersickness, which includes symptoms like dizziness and nausea. Various VR design factors, e.g., session duration, may influence the cybersickness experience. This study aims to investigate the cybersickness prevalence among older adults in nursing homes who participate in a VR activity.

Methods: A total of 27 older adults from five nursing homes participated in this feasible study. A four weeks VR intervention was conducted, with one VR session per week. After the VR intervention, participants were asked to rate the standardized VR sickness questionnaire (VRSQ) immediately. There was 11% (N = 3) dropping out from the VR intervention due to cybersickness. Over all participants, cybersickness level remained at a low level (VRSQ-Score, Mean = 2.23, SD = 6.25). There was no significant difference in cybersickness prevalence among the four VR sessions featuring different tasks.

Impacts: These findings suggest that specifically designed VR activities yielded moderate cybersickness effects. Older adults should be monitored by nurses during VR sessions, in order to help them exit the VR session in case cybersickness occurs. The findings offer valuable insights on VR interventions under natural conditions, ensuring high external validity. Future randomized controlled trials should explore a larger spectrum of possible side effects of VR interventions in comparison to non-VR interventions in nursing homes.