CYCLING BEYOND THE BOUNDS OF REALITY: THE OSCILLATORY DYNAMICS OF NEURAL ACTIVITY IN VIRTUAL REALITY ENVIRONMENTS
brain oscillation, virtual reality, visual stimuli.
The proposed research aims to investigate the impact of visual stimuli in virtual reality
environments during cycling in patients with Parkinson's, especially those experiencing freezing of
gait, on brain activity and attention capacity. The primary focus will be to analyze frontal and
occipital alpha activity in response to different virtual reality environments with varied visual
stimuli. The sample will consist of 60 healthy participants aged 18 to 50, with no history of
labyrinthitis, chronic migraine, dizziness, or nausea related to previous virtual reality use, or the use
of psychostimulants. Exposure to the virtual reality environment will be conducted using the Oculus
Quest 2 from Oculus. Participants will be adequately informed about the study, sign the Informed
Consent Form, and complete questionnaires before electrode placement for electroencephalographic
and electrocardiographic recording. Experimental procedures will be conducted at two within-
subject moments. In Experiment 1, the difference in neural activity between low and high visual
stimulation 360º videos will be assessed. In Experiment 2, a comparison will be made between a
360º video and a Unity3D animation. After collecting electrophysiological data, participants will be
released from the virtual reality equipment and electrodes, undergoing a stabilization period before
responding to final questionnaires. The approach adopted in this study aims to contribute
significantly to understanding the effects of visual stimuli provided by virtual reality, providing
valuable data for future interventions and treatments.