Effect of a vergence-accommodation conflict induced during a 30-minute Virtual Reality game on vergence-accommodation parameters and related symptoms
Maciej Dymczyk, Anna Przekoracka‐Krawczyk, Zuzanna Kapturek, Paulina Pyżalska · Journal of Optometry · 2024
The aim of the study was to verify the hypotheses that vergence-accommodation conflict (VAC) induced with head-mounted device (HMD) could cause symptoms in relation to changes in the accommodative-vergence system. In order to test this hypothesis, the Virtual Reality (VR) exposures were carried out in two types of VAC: VAC small and VAC large . Eighteen females, with a mean age of 22.5 ± 2.0 years, participated in two 30-minutes sessions with VR, which were separated by at least one week. Two sessions were differentiated by intensity of VAC presented in the VR system (VAC small and VAC large ). Visual parameters were measured such as associated and dissociated phoria, accommodative response, the near point of convergence (NPC), fusional vergence ranges (FVR) and subjective complaints were measured using Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ). The parameters were measured immediately before (Pre-test) and after (Post-test) the VR exposure. The subjective symptoms as nausea, oculomotor disorders and disorientation increased significantly after 30-minutes of exposure on VAC large ( P 0.05). Short-term use of HMD (30-min) did not significantly affect accommodative-vergence functions regardless of the size of VAC (VAC small and VAC large ). However, the level of symptoms increased after VR sessions, which was probably related to inappropriate oculo-vestibular relationship.