Extended exposure to virtual reality environments can induce motion sickness, often referred to as cybersickness, which may lead to physiological stress responses and impaired cognitive performance. This study investigates the aftereffects of VR-induced motion sickness with a focus on physiological stress markers and working memory performance. Using a carousel simulation to elicit cybersickness, we assessed subjective discomfort (SSQ, FMS), physiological stress (salivary cortisol, alpha-amylase, electrodermal activity, heart rate), and cognitive performance (n-Back task) over a 90-minute post-exposure period. Our findings demonstrate a significant increase in both subjective and physiological stress indicators following VR exposure, accompanied by a decline in working memory performance. Notably, delayed symptom progression was observed in a substantial proportion of participants, with some reporting peak symptoms up to 90 minutes post-stimulation. Salivary cortisol levels remained elevated throughout the observation period, indicating prolonged stress recovery. These results highlight the need for longer washout phases in XR research and raise safety concerns for professional applications involving post-exposure task performance.

翻译：长时间暴露于虚拟现实环境可能诱发运动病（通常称为虚拟现实晕动症），这可能导致生理应激反应和认知功能受损。本研究聚焦于生理应激标志物和工作记忆表现，探讨虚拟现实诱发运动病的后遗效应。通过旋转木马模拟诱发虚拟现实晕动症，我们在90分钟的暴露后监测期内评估了主观不适感（SSQ、FMS）、生理应激指标（唾液皮质醇、α-淀粉酶、皮肤电活动、心率）及认知表现（n-Back任务）。研究结果表明，虚拟现实暴露后主观与生理应激指标均显著上升，同时工作记忆表现下降。值得注意的是，相当比例参与者出现症状延迟进展现象，部分参与者在刺激结束90分钟后仍报告症状达峰值。唾液皮质醇水平在整个观察期间持续偏高，表明应激恢复过程延长。这些发现凸显了扩展现实研究中需要更长清洗期的必要性，并对涉及暴露后任务执行的专业应用场景提出了安全隐患。