Comparative Analysis of Alpha Power Spectral Density in Real and Virtual Environments

The virtual reality (VR) technology has been able to emulate physical places with realistic details, useful for multiple areas such as rehabilitation, education, entertainment, etc. This is possible because virtual environments can emulate the sense of “presence” that the user undergoes in the real world. The present study aimed to compare the typical videogame “Power Solitaire” in both scenarios, real and virtual one, by monitoring presence by estimating the alpha power spectral density on 14 electroencephalographic channels. As well, it was used three questionnaires (“Immersive Tendencies”, “Presence”, and “Slater Usoh-Steed”) to check the level of Presence. For this study, seven volunteers were recruited, and an Occulus Rift Headset and a headset “Emotiv epoc” were used. The study showed that “Power Solitaire” videogame rendered in VR mode induced the similar sense of presence experienced in the real world in accordance with (1) a good movement and auditory response of VR, (2) high quality of user-system interaction, and (3) similar level of alpha neural synchrony over the frontal lobe, which reflects sensory decoding, level of attention, and readiness to perform a task.