Physiological and Neurocognitive Responses to Multisensory Food Cues in VR

This study aims to investigate how food cravings change when visual food cues are enriched with sound, smell, and interactive experiences in a virtual reality (VR) environment. A total of 34 healthy Marmara University students aged 18 and older will participate in the study between November 2025 and March 2026, with a possible extension until September 2026. Participants will be exposed to real, virtual, and multisensory food cues, and their food craving levels, saliva composition, blood glucose, EEG activity, and body temperature will be measured. Salivary alpha-amylase will be analysed as a biomarker of physiological arousal during food cue exposure. The study aims to compare how virtual food cues affect food craving and physiological responses compared to real food cues. Findings are expected to contribute to understanding eating behaviour, developing VR-based interventions for healthy nutrition, and encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration between nutrition and engineering fields.

Inclusion Criteria: * Being over 18 years of age. * Individuals with a normal Body Mass Index according to the WHO classification. * No known food allergies or eating disorder diagnoses. * Voluntarily agree to participate in the study and sign an informed consent form. * Be physically and psychologically suitable for virtual reality environment and electroencephalography (EEG) recording applications. Exclusion Criteria: * History of any neurological disease (e.g., epilepsy, vertigo) that may prevent the use of virtual reality goggles * Allergy, intolerance, or sensitivity to foods used in the experimental procedure (e.g., chocolate biscuits, pickles) * Significant loss or impairment of vision, hearing, or sense of smell. * Sensitivity to the use of virtual reality devices (e.g. history of cyber sickness such as nausea, dizziness, etc.) * Use of psychiatric medication, antidepressants, neuroleptics, or medication that may affect neurological status * History of psychological conditions that may affect the working process, such as attention deficit, anxiety disorder, or panic attacks. * Any discomfort in the salivary glands, insufficient saliva production, or dry mouth. * Consumption of more than 21 units of alcohol per week (as this may affect food cravings and physiological parameters). * History or diagnosis of abnormal brain electrical activity that may affect EEG measurements. * History of substance dependence or any mental disorder that may affect cortical activity. * Conditions that prevent body composition analysis (BIA) measurements (e.g. use of a pacemaker, limb amputation, lymphoedema, etc.). * The presence of any language or cognitive barrier that prevents communication.