Simulator Sickness Research Articles

Virtual reality-assisted cognitive behavioral therapy for patients with alcohol use disorder: a randomized feasibility study.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Exposure to high-risk situations in virtual reality (VR) has been suggested to have a potential therapeutical benefit, but no previous study has combined VR and CBT for AUD. We aimed to investigate the feasibility of using VR-simulated high-risk environments in CBT-based treatment of AUD. We randomized ten treatment-seeking AUD-diagnosed individuals to three sessions of conventional CBT or VR-assisted CBT performed at two outpatient clinics in Denmark. In each session, patients randomized to VR-CBT were exposed to VR-simulations from a restaurant to induce authentic thoughts, emotions, physiological reactions, and craving for CBT purposes. The primary outcome measure was feasibility: Drop-out rate, psychological reactions, and simulator sickness. Secondary outcomes were assessment of preliminary short-term changes in alcohol consumption and craving from baseline to one-week and one-month follow-up. In addition, the study was conducted for training in operationalization of VR equipment, treatment manuals, and research questionnaires. The majority of patients completed all study visits (90%). VR induced authentic high-risk related thoughts, emotions, and physiological reactions that were considered relevant for CBT by patients and therapists. Four of five patients randomized to VR-CBT experienced cravings during VR simulations, and most of these patients (3/5) experienced mild simulator sickness during VR exposure. The preliminary data showed that patients receiving VR-CBT had more reduction in alcohol consumption than patients receiving conventional CBT at one week- (median 94% vs. 72%) and one-month follow-up (median 98% vs. 55%). Similar results were found regarding changes in cravings. We demonstrated VR-CBT to be a feasible intervention for patients with AUD which supports continued investigations in a larger randomized clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of VR-CBT. https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04990765?cond=addiction%20CRAVR&rank=2, identifier NCT05042180.

Analysis of Visual and Vestibular Information on Motion Sickness in Flight Simulation

Virtual reality (VR) is in its nascent technological advancement and market diffusion stages. Interestingly, the scientific exploration concerning the impact of non-isometric mapping disparities within visual–vestibular stimuli on motion sickness remains deficient. This investigation focuses on scrutinizing the visual–vestibular implications for motion sickness within the context of flight simulation. The developed motion platform, offering specific pitch and roll ranges of ±16 and ±17 degrees, respectively, was employed to induce varying ratios of simulated visual–vestibular cues. Involving a cohort of five participants, the study exposed them to two prevalent simulated mission profiles, subsequently assessing their motion sickness symptoms. Sixty responses were analyzed using the subjective assessment of the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ). The findings reveal a reduction in cybersickness severity with congruent visual–vestibular stimuli in proportion to the variance observed among visual–vestibular coupling ratios. A comparative analysis of SSQ sub-categories demonstrates that disorientation holds the most significance in the hierarchy of motion sickness contributors, followed by oculomotor discomfort, with nausea manifesting as the least influential. This study can lead to situation awareness analysis by integrating VR-based flight-simulation setups in the formal training of pilots and UAV operators.

Evaluating simulator sickness and acceptability of virtual reality prototype in pain management inhospitalized patients.

Aim: Acute and chronic noncancer pain is a common healthcare problem locally and globally, and remains under treated and poorly controlled. We created a virtual reality (VR)-based prototype with customization of content to our local population. Materials & methods: This was an open-label, single center, single-arm study to examine the safety, acceptability and tolerability of the use of VR as an adjunctive tool for pain relief in hospitalized patients. The participants rated their baseline and post-VR pain and anxiety scores. Results & conclusion: All 50 patients completed the VR sessions with good tolerability and safety. Preliminary exploration of pain reduction indicated a positive effect (for pain and anxiety visual analog scale scores; p<0.001). We believe VR is a potentially beneficial tool for use in pain management.

Cybersickness in People with Multiple Sclerosis Exposed to Immersive Virtual Reality.

Together with the wide range of possible benefits for the rehabilitation/training of people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) and other neurologic conditions, exposure to immersive virtual reality (VR) has often been associated with unpleasant symptoms, such as transient dizziness, headache, nausea, disorientation and impaired postural control (i.e., cybersickness). Since these symptoms can significantly impact the safety and tolerability of the treatment, it appears important to correctly estimate their presence and magnitude. Given the existing data scarcity, this study aims to assess the existence and severity of possible adverse effects associated with exposure to immersive VR in a cohort of pwMS using both objective measurements of postural control effectiveness and subjective evaluations of perceived symptoms. To this aim, postural sway under upright quiet posture (in the presence and absence of visual input) of 56 pwMS with an Expanded Disability Status Scale score (EDSS) in the range of 0-6.5 (mean EDSS 2.3) and 33 unaffected individuals was measured before and after a 10-min immersive VR session and at 10 min follow-up on the basis of center of pressure (COP) trajectories. The severity of cybersickness symptoms associated with VR exposure was also self-rated by the participants using the Italian version of the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ). Temporary impairments of postural control in terms of significantly increased sway area were observed after the VR session only in pwMS with mild-moderate disability (i.e., EDSS in the range of 2.5-6.5) in the presence of visual input. No changes were observed in pwMS with low disability (EDSS 0-2) and unaffected individuals. In contrast, when the visual input was removed, there was a decrease in sway area (pwMS with mild-moderate disability) and COP path length relating to the use of VR (pwMS with mild-moderate disability and unaffected individuals), thus suggesting a sort of "balance training effect". Even in this case, the baseline values were restored at follow-up. All participants, regardless of their status, experienced significant post-VR side effects, especially in terms of blurred vision and nausea. Taken together, the findings of the present study suggest that a short immersive VR session negatively (eyes open) and positively (eyes closed) impacts the postural control of pwMS and causes significant disorientation. However, such effects are of limited duration. While it is reasonable to state that immersive VR is sufficiently safe and tolerable to not be contraindicated in the rehabilitation/training of pwMS, in order to reduce possible negative effects and maximize the efficacy, safety and comfort of the treatment, it appears necessary to develop specific guidelines that consider important factors like individual susceptibility, maximum exposure time according to the specific features of the simulation, posture to adopt and protocols to assess objective and perceived effects on participants.

The bigger the better? Investigating the effects of driving simulator fidelity on driving behavior and perception

There is a wide range of different driving simulator systems, which vary greatly in terms of cost as well as system characteristics. Higher fidelity simulators are often assumed to produce more valid results. While there are many studies that have compared simulator driving to real-world driving, to date there has been no large study comparing different simulator systems to each other and to real-world driving. Aiming at closing this gap, the present research offers an extensive comparison of six different driving simulators with the results of a previous real-world study.In terms of absolute validity, most of the simulators provided good results for distance to a vehicle in front and standard deviation of the lateral position, whereas the results for driving speed were inconsistent. Simulator fidelity appears to positively affect distance perception, although differences between higher fidelity simulators were generally small, and no real-world comparison data were available here. With respect to simulator sickness, a clear advantage of using a high fidelity simulator was found, while the effect size depended on the use case. In summary, the results suggest that different simulators are suitable for different use cases to different degrees, and the differences between simulators are not always related to higher simulator fidelity. The presented study can serve as a basis for understanding simulator requirements associated with different use cases.

Assessing the validity of VR as a training tool for medical students

The advances in Virtual Reality technologies, increased availability and reducing hardware costs have diminished many of the early challenges in the adoption of VR. However, a commonly identified gap in immersive Virtual Reality-Head Mounded Display (VR-HMD) training for medical education is the confidence in the long-term validity of the applications, in particular, the acceleration of the learning curve efficacy of learning outcomes over time and actual skills translation into real environments. Research shows a wide range of ad hoc applications, with superficial evaluations often conducted by technology vendors, based on assumed environments and tasks, envisaged (as opposed to actual) users and effectiveness of learning outcomes underpinned with little or no research focusing on a requirements-driven validation approach. This presents decision-making challenges for those seeking to adopt, implement and embed such systems in teaching practice. The current paper aims to (i) determine whether medical VR training improves the skill acquisition of training candidates, (ii) determine the factors affecting the acquisition of skills and (iii) validate the VR-based training using requirement-driven approach. In this paper, we used within- and between-subject design approaches to assess the validity of VR-based surgical training platform developed by Vantari VR against requirements which have been identified to have impact on learning processes and outcomes in VR-based training. First, study and control groups were compared based on their level of skill acquisitions. Then, by tailoring a requirements framework, the system was validated against the appropriate requirements. In total, 74 out of 109 requirements were investigated and evaluated against survey, observer and stakeholder workshop data. The training scenario covered the topic of Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) collection for second-year university medical students. In total 44 students volunteered to participate in this study, having been randomly assigned to either the study or control group. Students exposed to VR training (the study group) outperformed the control group in practical clinical skills training tasks and also adhered to better safety and hygiene practices. The study group also had a greater procedural completion rate over the control group. Students showed increased self-efficacy and knowledge scores immediately post-VR training. Prior ABG training did not impact on VR training outcomes. Low levels of simulation sickness, physical strain and stress, coupled with high levels of enjoyability, engagement, presence and fidelity were identified as factors affecting the overall training experience. In terms of learning, high scores were recorded for active learning, cognitive benefit and reflective thinking. Lastly, by validating the system against 74 system requirements, the study found a user acceptance level of 75%. This enabled the identification of weaknesses of the current system and possible future directions.

Effect of screen configuration on the neck angle, muscle activity, and simulator sickness symptoms in virtual reality.

There is a lack of information about the optimal setup of multiple screen configurations in virtual reality (VR) office work. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different screen configurations on neck flexion, rotation, neck muscle activity, and simulator sickness symptoms during Virtual Reality (VR) office work. Twelve participants (7 males; 21 to 27 years old) performed copy-paste and drag-drop tasks in three different screen configurations (single screen, primary-secondary screen, and double screen) in a randomized order. Optical motion capture system, electromyography (EMG) device, and simulator sickness questionnaire (SSQ) were used to measure the users' responses. Neck rotation angles, muscle activities, and VR sickness were significantly affected by the screen configurations (p < 0.021). The primary-secondary screen showed the highest right rotation angle (median: -33.47°) and left sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle activities (median: 12.57% MVC). Both single (median: 22.42) and primary-secondary (median: 22.40) screen showed the highest value of SSQ. The screen configurations in VR could be an important design factor affecting the users' physical demands of the neck and VR sickness symptoms. Asymmetric neck rotations caused by the primary-secondary screen conditions should be avoided.

The usability of virtual reality to train individuals in responding to behaviors related to dementia.

Dementia is associated with several behavioral changes globally referred to as Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) of which many are recognized to be the expression of unmet needs triggered by environmental factors. BPSD are an extreme source of stress for family care partners and health care providers alike and can be the reason why people living with dementia (PLWD) are placed in long-term care homes (LTCH). The overall goal of this project was to examine whether a virtual environment that includes a virtual LTCH resident with dementia in a lifelike situation could be useful and usable for health care providers and care partners to identify potential triggers to BPSDs while being engaged emotionally with the scenario. Twenty-three health care professionals working with PLWD, 25 care partners to PLWD, 27 students in a health-related field, and 11 university/community college faculty members teaching courses relevant to gerontology tested the application which depicted a meal-time scenario. In addition to being asked about the behavioral triggers in the scene, participants were asked about the usefulness and usability of the tool for training. Presence and simulator sickness were also measured. Results suggest that participants generally felt present and emotionally engaged. They could identify the potential triggers for the observed behaviors in the virtual human with dementia as well as suggest some solutions. The majority (87% of participants) found the tool easy to use. Many participants identified the inability to interact with the virtual humans as a shortfall, and few reported mild to moderate levels of simulator sickness. As the behavioral changes associated with dementia can cause extreme stress for those interacting with PLWD, developing an effective and efficient training tool could significantly improve well-being for all involved. The investigators see the development and testing of an interactive version of this virtual environment as a next step in making this a clinically relevant training tool.

Feasibility of a virtual reality course on adult tracheostomy safety skills.

The National Tracheostomy Safety Project has run high-quality, face-to-face skills courses since 2009. The aim of this project was to produce a virtual reality version of the established course and evaluate its impact on participant learning, and participant and faculty satisfaction. Healthcare staff and students were recruited and randomised to attend one of (1) a face-to-face traditional course (control); (2) a virtual reality course at a conference centre with on-site technical support; (3) a fully remote virtual reality course; the virtual reality groups were combined for the analysis of learning outcomes and satisfaction. The primary outcome was the difference in pre/post-course knowledge scores on a 30-item questionnaire; secondary outcomes included knowledge retention, usability, comfort/side effects and participant performance in a simulated tracheostomy emergency. Thirty-seven participants and 15 faculty participated in this study. There was no significant difference between mean pre/post-course scores from the face-to-face (from 21.1 to 23.1; +2) and combined virtual reality (from 17.1 to 21.1; +4) groups, with both showing improvement (p = 0.21). The mean System Usability Scale score for virtual reality was 76.8 (SD 12.6), which is above average; the median Simulator Sickness Questionnaire score was 7.5 (IQR 3.7-22.4), indicating minimal symptoms. All participants resolved the primary clinical problem in the simulated emergency, but the virtual reality (VR) group was slower overall (mean difference 61.8 s, p = 0.003). This technical feasibility study demonstrated that there was no difference in participant knowledge immediately after and 4 weeks following face-to-face and virtual reality courses. Virtual reality offers an immersive experience that can be delivered remotely and offers potential benefits of reducing travel and venue costs for attendees, therefore increasing the flexibility of training opportunities.

Significance of Physiological Signal Thresholds in the Early Diagnosis of Simulator Sickness

Significance of Physiological Signal Thresholds in the Early Diagnosis of Simulator Sickness

Who says you are so sick? An investigation on individual susceptibility to cybersickness triggers using EEG, EGG and ECG.

In this research paper, we conducted a study to investigate the connection between three objective measures: Electrocardio-gram(EGG), Electrogastrogram (EGG), and Electroencephalogram (EEG), and individuals' susceptibility to cybersickness. Our primary objective was to identify which of these factors plays a central role in causing discomfort when experiencing rotations along three different axes: Roll, Pitch, and Yaw. This study involved 35 participants who were tasked with destroying asteroids using their eye gaze while undergoing passive rotations in four separate sessions. The results, when combined with subjective measurements (specifically, Fast motion sickness questionnaire (FMS) and Simulator sickness questionnaire (SSQ) score), demonstrated that EGG measurements were superior in detecting symptoms associated with nausea. As for ECG measurements, our observations did reveal significant changes in Heart Rate Variability (HRV) parameters. However, we caution against relying solely on ECG as a dependable indicator for assessing the extent of cybersickness. Most notably, EEG signals emerged as a crucial resource for discerning individual differences related to these rotational axes. Our findings were significant not only in the context of periodic activities but also underscored the potential of aperiodic activities in detecting the severity of cybersickness and an individual's susceptibility to rotational triggers.

Tracking motion sickness in dynamic VR environments with EDA signals

Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a mainstream commercial technology with multiple sensory channels, including advanced user interfaces (human-computer). However, the number of users complaining of VR motion sickness (MS) has been rapidly increasing. In this study, VR MS was investigated using subjective questionnaires: simulator sickness questionnaire (SSQ), virtual reality sickness questionnaire (VRSQ), and fast motion sickness scale (FMS) and objective physiological methods: electrodermal activity (EDA). To track VR MS based on symptoms, a model was constructed by applying a polynomial regression method. In addition, this study attempted to determine whether there are differences in MS according to the degree of immersion in a VR environment. Twenty participants (10 males and 10 females) were exposed to a dynamic VR environment through a simple operation method using a head-mounted display (HMD). The coefficients of determination of the objective measurement components were high before and after the rest. In particular, both the SSQ and VRSQ were highest for disorientation, that is, dizziness disorder and difficulty concentrating. This suggests that the timing of the EDA signal data extraction with respect to the rest may be critical. In addition, subjects placed in an immersive VR environment performed the experiment in an unstable and dynamic posture; accordingly, the VR MS score was higher for subjects who participated in the experiment in a more dynamic position. Therefore, we confirmed the possibility of a significant association between VR sickness and postural stability. This study demonstrates the possibility of tracking MS in a dynamic VR environment according to intervals and symptoms using EDA signals, and the stability of posture should be considered in immersed VR environments.Relevance to industry: The findings here provide insights into the model of tracking motion sickness using the EDA signal to prevent or reduce VR motion sickness. The EDA signal model can benefit the design or development of an immersive VR environment.

Adaptation and Validation of the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire to Portuguese (SSQp) Based on Immersive Virtual Reality Exposure

Adaptation and Validation of the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire to Portuguese (SSQp) Based on Immersive Virtual Reality Exposure

Characterizing the Effects of Adding Virtual and Augmented Reality in Robot-Assisted Training.

Extended reality (XR) technology combines physical reality with computer synthetic virtuality to deliver immersive experience to users. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are two subdomains within XR with different immersion levels. Both of these have the potential to be combined with robot-assisted training protocols to maximize postural control improvement. In this study, we conducted a randomized control experiment with sixty-three healthy subjects to compare the effectiveness of robot-assisted posture training combined with VR or AR against robotic training alone. A robotic Trunk Support Trainer (TruST) was employed to deliver assistive force at the trunk as subjects moved beyond the stability limits during training. Our results showed that both VR and AR significantly enhanced the training outcomes of the TruST intervention. However, the VR group experienced higher simulator sickness compared to the AR group, suggesting that AR is better suited for sitting posture training in conjunction with TruST intervention. Our findings highlight the added value of XR to robot-assisted training and provide novel insights into the differences between AR and VR when integrated into a robotic training protocol. In addition, we developed a custom XR application that suited well for TruST intervention requirements. Our approach can be extended to other studies to develop novel XR-enhanced robotic training platforms.

Impaired stationarity perception is associated with increased virtual reality sickness.

Stationarity perception refers to the ability to accurately perceive the surrounding visual environment as world-fixed during self-motion. Perception of stationarity depends on mechanisms that evaluate the congruence between retinal/oculomotor signals and head movement signals. In a series of psychophysical experiments, we systematically varied the congruence between retinal/oculomotor and head movement signals to find the range of visual gains that is compatible with perception of a stationary environment. On each trial, human subjects wearing a head-mounted display execute a yaw head movement and report whether the visual gain was perceived to be too slow or fast. A psychometric fit to the data across trials reveals the visual gain most compatible with stationarity (a measure of accuracy) and the sensitivity to visual gain manipulation (a measure of precision). Across experiments, we varied 1) the spatial frequency of the visual stimulus, 2) the retinal location of the visual stimulus (central vs. peripheral), and 3) fixation behavior (scene-fixed vs. head-fixed). Stationarity perception is most precise and accurate during scene-fixed fixation. Effects of spatial frequency and retinal stimulus location become evident during head-fixed fixation, when retinal image motion is increased. Virtual Reality sickness assessed using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire covaries with perceptual performance. Decreased accuracy is associated with an increase in the nausea subscore, while decreased precision is associated with an increase in the oculomotor and disorientation subscores.

A mirror therapy system using virtual reality and an actuated exoskeleton for the recovery of hand motor impairments: a study of acceptability, usability, and embodiment

Hand motor impairments are one of the main causes of disabilities worldwide. Rehabilitation procedures like mirror therapy are given crucial importance. In the traditional setup, the patient moves the healthy hand in front of a mirror; the view of the mirrored motion tricks the brain into thinking that the impaired hand is moving as well, stimulating the recovery of the lost hand functionalities. We propose an innovative mirror therapy system that leverages and couples cutting-edge technologies. Virtual reality recreates an immersive and effective mirroring effect; a soft hand exoskeleton accompanies the virtual visual perception by physically inducing the mirrored motion to the real hand. Three working modes of our system have been tested with 21 healthy users. The system is ranked as acceptable by the system usability scale; it does not provoke adverse events or sickness in the users, according to the simulator sickness questionnaire; the three execution modes are also compared w.r.t. the sense of embodiment, evaluated through another customized questionnaire. The achieved results show the potential of our system as a clinical tool and reveal its social and economic impact.

Development and testing of a model for explaining learning and learning-related factors in immersive virtual reality

Many believe that immersive virtual reality (IVR) possesses transformative potential for a plethora of human activities that are mediated via technology, including education. In light of this, it is critically important to understand the determinants that influence learning in IVR environments and the interrelations among these determinants. For that matter, a model was developed that encapsulated ten potential factors influencing learning outcomes. Three hundred and thirty-four university students interacted with a purpose-built application that presented ancient Greek inventions through the use of head-mounted displays. Data analysis, adhering to a structural equation modeling approach, indicated that a multitude of factors exerted a positive influence on learning outcomes. These included the perceived quality of graphics, the perceived quality of feedback and content, and the perceived degree of interaction. Moreover, intrinsic motivation and the immersive experience that IVR provides also demonstrated a positive impact. Conversely, the perceived cognitive load and symptoms of simulator sickness manifested a negative impact. Interestingly, these factors did not appear to inhibit learners' motivation or their positive feelings. Age did not have any effect, while gender seemed to have an impact only on immersion. The implications of the results are also discussed.

Cybersickness as the virtual reality sickness questionnaire (VRSQ) measures it!? –an environment-specific revision of the VRSQ

Background: Virtual Reality (VR) does not only include the use of stereoscopic images, but also possibilities for an interaction with and participation in a computer-generated environment. However, laboratory studies primarily focus on the first part of the definition only. In this context, comparing results from different VR applications with diverging goals becomes difficult. This is especially true in the field of cybersickness research (visually induced motion sickness in VR), as self-report symptom questionnaires are used. The prominent Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ) is criticized for the lack of specificity, the double factorial loadings, the outdatedness, and the unrepresentative sample. VR-specific revisions like the Virtual Reality Sickness Questionnaire (VRSQ) address these criticisms but lack generalizability.Methods: The current paper uses a Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the VRSQ with data from three different VR environments and a sample size of N = 244. The environments had different setups, visual complexities, and interaction possibilities. These characteristics influenced the factorial structure of the VRSQ as a moderator. Furthermore, to control for VR-unrelated effects Baseline ratings were taken into account.Results: The Confirmatory Factor Analysis indicated a moderate fit for the global model, but a misspecification for two of the three environments. Only the environment similar to the original VRSQ paper converged with the model.Conclusions: In conclusion, a detailed description of the VR environment is required in scientific method reports. Focusing on VR accessibility for physically impaired in addition to healthy subjects, an added Baseline measurement can address the discriminant validity. Until generalizable VR-specific revisions of the SSQ are validated, the paper suggests using the Δ-SSQ in aggregated raw format.

A Systematic Literature Review of Virtual Reality Locomotion Taxonomies.

The change of the user's viewpoint in an immersive virtual environment, called locomotion, is one of the key components in a virtual reality interface. Effects of locomotion, such as simulator sickness or disorientation, depend on the specific design of the locomotion method and can influence the task performance as well as the overall acceptance of the virtual reality system. Thus, it is important that a locomotion method achieves the intended effects. The complexity of this task has increased with the growing number of locomotion methods and design choices in recent years. Locomotion taxonomies are classification schemes that group multiple locomotion methods and can aid in the design and selection of locomotion methods. Like locomotion methods themselves, there exist multiple locomotion taxonomies, each with a different focus and, consequently, a different possible outcome. However, there is little research that focuses on locomotion taxonomies. We performed a systematic literature review to provide an overview of possible locomotion taxonomies and analysis of possible decision criteria such as impact, common elements, and use cases for locomotion taxonomies. We aim to support future research on the design, choice, and evaluation of locomotion taxonomies and thereby support future research on virtual reality locomotion.

Predicting VR cybersickness and its impact on visuomotor performance using head rotations and field (in)dependence

Introduction: This exploratory study aims to participate in the development of the VR framework by focusing on the issue of cybersickness. The main objective is to explore the possibilities of predicting cybersickness using i) field dependence-independence measures and ii) head rotations data through automatic analyses. The second objective is to assess the impact of cybersickness on visuomotor performance.Methods: 40 participants completed a 13.5-min VR immersion in a first-person shooter game. Head rotations were analyzed in both their spatial (coefficients of variations) and temporal dimensions (detrended fluctuations analyses). Exploratory correlations, linear regressions and clusters comparison (unsupervised machine learning) analyses were performed to explain cybersickness and visuomotor performance. Traditional VR human factors (sense of presence, state of flow, video game experience, age) were also integrated.Results: Results suggest that field dependence-independence measured before exposure to VR explain ¼ of the variance of cybersickness, while the Disorientation scale of the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire predicts 16.3% of the visuomotor performance. In addition, automatic analyses of head rotations during immersion revealed two different clusters of participants, one of them reporting more cybersickness than the other.Discussion: These results are discussed in terms of sensory integration and a diminution of head rotations as an avoidance behavior of negative symptoms. This study suggests that measuring field dependence-independence using the (Virtual) Rod and Frame Test before immersion and tracking head rotations using internal sensors during immersion might serve as powerful tools for VR actors.