Effect of Virtual Reality on the EEG Sub-Band Frequency Powers of Autistic and Control groups

Cognitive load while performing a task indicates the magnitude of effort taken by the individual for the completion of the task. The effort taken by the control and autistic children vary depending on the task they perform. Virtual Reality (VR) is an emerging technology that has been considered as a learning tool for both the groups. EEG signals has been recorded and quantifiable parameters have been measured to assess the cognitive load while subjecting the children to VR platform. The derived features from theta and alpha oscillations have been considered for study. The results show that there were abnormal impairments in the theta and alpha band values in the autistic group compared to the controls. The relative power values obtained show an increase in delta band values due to enhanced neural processing and a gradual decrease in the power values of the other EEG sub-bands for both the groups. This suggests that VR can be used as a learning tool for improving the cognition of children with neurodevelopmental disorders.