Effects of electrical brain stimulation on brain indices and presence experience in immersive, interactive virtual reality

Abstract The subjective presence experience in virtual reality (VR) is associated with distinct brain activation patterns. Particularly, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) seems to play a central role. We investigated the effects of electric brain stimulation (transcranial direct current, tDCS) on the presence experience as well as on brain activity and connectivity. Thirty-eight participants received either anodal (N = 18) or cathodal (N = 20) stimulation of the DLPFC before interacting in an immersive VR as well as sham stimulation. During VR interaction, EEG and heart rate were recorded. After VR interaction, participants rated their subjective presence experience using standardized questionnaires. Cathodal stimulation led to stronger brain connectivity than sham stimulation. Increased brain connectivity was associated with numerically lower levels of subjective presence. Anodal stimulation did not lead to changes in brain connectivity, and no differences in subjective presence ratings were found between the anodal and sham stimulation. These results indicate that cathodal tDCS over the DLPFC leads to a more synchronized brain state, which might hamper the activity in networks, which are generally associated with the evolvement of the subjective presence experience. Our results underline the importance of the DLPFC for the presence experience in VR.