Cybersickness-induced EEG responses in curved monitor and head-mounted display

Cybersickness is a common issue in virtual reality (VR), yet addressing it remains challenging due to the lack of quantitative evaluation methods. To quantitatively assess cybersickness, this study examined electroencephalography (EEG) changes and Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ) scores using two different display types: a curved monitor and a head-mounted display (HMD). Thirty-one male participants (25.0 ± 1.9 years old) were exposed to cybersickness-inducing VR content developed using the Unity engine, featuring pitch, yaw, and roll rotations.The results revealed two key findings. First, regarding cybersickness induction, both display conditions showed significant increases in Delta power and decreases in Alpha power compared to the baseline, thus validating the effectiveness of the stimulus. Second, in the direct comparison between the two displays, no statistically significant differences were found in EEG spectral power. However, SSQ scores showed significantly higher Disorientation in the HMD condition. Furthermore, no linear correlation was observed between EEG and SSQ scores.In conclusion, these findings suggest that although both displays trigger similar physiological responses associated with sensory conflict processing (EEG), the immersive HMD environment induces greater vestibular disorientation (SSQ). This implies that a curved monitor may be a viable alternative for studying the physiological correlates of cybersickness.