Virtual Reality Application for Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening: Current Clinical Protocol Versus a Novel Prototype.

BACKGROUND

Virtual reality (VR) has been explored to improve baseline and postinjury assessments in sport-related concussion (SRC). Some experience symptoms related to VR, unrelated to concussion. This may deter use of vestibular/ocular motor screening (VOMS) using VR. Baseline VR VOMS symptomatology differentiates baseline from overall symptomatology.

HYPOTHESIS

There will be no difference between current clinical manual VOMS (MAN), a clinical prototype (PRO), and VR for symptom provocation change score (SPCS) and near point of convergence (NPC) average score in a healthy population and sex differences among the 3 modes of administration.

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level 3.

METHODS

A total of 688 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I student-athletes completed VOMS using 3 methods (MAN, N = 111; female athletes, N = 47; male athletes, N = 64; average age, 21 years; PRO, N = 365; female athletes, N = 154; male athletes, N = 211; average age, 21 years; VR, N = 212; female athletes, N = 78; male athletes, N = 134; average age = 20 years) over a 3-year period (2019-2021) during annual baseline testing. Exclusion criteria were as follows: self-reported motion sickness in the past 6 months, existing or previous neurological insult, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disabilities, or noncorrected vision impairment. Administration of MAN followed the current clinical protocols, PRO used a novel prototype, and VR used an HTC Vive Pro Eye head mounted display. Symptom provocation was compared using Mann-Whitney tests across each VOMS subtest with total SPCS and NPC average by each method.

RESULTS

MAN had significantly ( < 0.01) more baseline SPCS (MAN = 0.466 ± 1.165, PRO = 0.163 ± 0.644, VR = 0.161 ± 0.933) and significantly ( < 0.01) and more SPCS (MAN = 0.396 ± 1.081, PRO = 0.128 ± 0.427, VR = 0.48 ± 0.845) when compared with PRO and VR. NPC average measurements for VR (average, 2.99 ± 0.684 cm) were significantly greater than MAN (average, 2.91 ± 3.35 cm; < 0.01; Cohen's d = 0.03) and PRO (average, 2.21 ± 1.81 cm; < 0.01; Cohen's d = 0.57). For sex differences, female athletes reported greater SPCS with PRO (female athletes, 0.29 ± 0.87; male athletes, 0.06 ± 0.29; < 0.01) but not in VR or MAN.

CONCLUSION

Using a VR system to administer the VOMS may not elicit additional symptoms, resulting in fewer false positives and is somewhat stable between sexes.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

VOMS may allow for standardization among administrators and reduce possible false positives.