Motion Reset for preventing cybersickness during virtual reality
Official title: Cybersickness Prevention and Mitigation in Virtual Reality for Healthy Volunteers
Run by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) · NCT06552754 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test if Motion Reset software can reduce cybersickness in healthy adults using virtual reality.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 60 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 150 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) NIH |
| Locations | 2 sites (Ames, Iowa and 1 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | September 26, 2025 |
| Main results expected | February 1, 2030 |
| Study ends | February 1, 2030 |
| Registry record updated | November 9, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06552754 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Healthy English-speaking adults aged 18–60 with normal or corrected hearing and vision who are willing to use a VR headset are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
People who never experience motion sickness, those with extreme motion sickness propensity, or those who cannot participate in an in-person VR session may not receive benefit or be eligible.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Healthy adults (ages 18–60) will have one clinic visit during which they learn to use a VR headset and complete self-report measures. Participants are randomized to an active Motion Reset intervention, a placebo VR experience, or a no-treatment control. After the assigned intervention they will play a VR game designed to induce moderate cybersickness while researchers collect symptom ratings before and after play and track how long participants tolerate the game. Participants may stop at any time or will be stopped if discomfort reaches a preset threshold.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, Motion Reset could reduce nausea, dizziness, headache, and eye strain from VR and make VR use more comfortable and longer-lasting.
How similar studies have gone: Previous sensory- or software-based approaches to reduce VR cybersickness have shown mixed or limited results, so this specific Motion Reset approach is relatively novel and not yet proven.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
* INCLUSION CRITERIA: In order to be eligible to participate in this study, an individual must meet all of the following criteria: * Provision of signed and dated informed consent form * Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study * Aged 18-60 * Ability to read, speak, and write in English * Normal or corrected-to-normal hearing * Normal vision or corrected-to-normal without use of glasses. Contact lenses for corrective purposes are acceptable. Ability to read, speak and write in English is a requirement because the VR-based study materials and assessment are only available in English and several of the key questionnaires for the study are not validated in other languages. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: An individual who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study: * Reporting motion sickness propensity of 0, 9 or 10 on a 0-10 scale where 0 =never experience motion sickness and 10 = experience motion sickness very frequently (self-assessed by participants). * Reporting a history of photo-sensitive seizure disorders, vestibular disorders and/or other conditions that may make participants prone to nausea, dizziness, vertigo, ataxia, or incoordination. * Known pregnancy * Reporting current use of medication or supplements that inhibit nausea, e.g., Zofran/ondansetron, Phenergan/promethazine
Where it's running
-
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa, United States Recruiting -
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Bethesda, Maryland, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Susan J Persky, Ph.D. — National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
- Study coordinator: Susan J Persky, Ph.D.
- Email: NihVRStudy@nih.gov
- Phone: (301) 451-1268
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.