JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Physical exercise involving simultaneous cognitive demands, including dance-based exergames, has shown moderate effects on executive function. Immersive virtual reality (VR) may enhance these effects by increasing presence and frontal cortical activation; however, evidence in youth integrating objective neurophysiological measures remains limited and methodologically heterogeneous.

Objective:

To explore the acute and chronic effects of immersive VR compared with a conventional screen-based condition during an active dance exergame on inhibitory control as the primary outcome, and on frontal cortical activity, perceived self-efficacy, affective state, and physiological response as secondary or mechanistic outcomes.

Methods:

This study protocol comprises two independent phases involving young adults aged 18 to 30 years: an acute randomized crossover phase with up to 40 participants, and a 10-week two-arm randomized controlled trial with a target sample size of 64 participants and three sessions per week. In the VR condition, participants will perform the task using Beat Saber with Meta Quest 2 headsets. In the conventional screen condition, they will follow a pre-recorded video of the same choreography, songs, rhythm, movement sequence, and difficulty level. Outcomes will include executive function assessed with the Stroop Color and Word Test, frontal cortical activity assessed with portable EEG, perceived self-efficacy, affective state, heart rate, rating of perceived exertion and wrist accelerometry. Immersion-related variables will include presence, cybersickness, enjoyment, and expectations. Linear mixed models will be used, with false discovery rate correction and effect size estimates.

Results:

VR is expected to produce greater improvements in inhibitory control and greater frontal theta power than the conventional screen condition. Higher perceived self-efficacy, enjoyment and positive affect are also expected, with comparable physiological and motor load.

Conclusions:

This protocol presents a controlled experimental design to examine the effects of immersive VR on neurocognitive, psychological, and physiological outcomes. Incorporating immersion-related variables may help clarify the mechanisms underlying VR-based exercise and inform future technology-supported interventions in exercise and cognitive health. Clinical Trial: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR), submitted for registration; ACTRN pending.