Carsickness Therapy Based on Brain–Computer Interface Enhanced Mindfulness Meditation Training
Jiawei Zhu, Zhenfu Wen, Yonghao Cao, Qiyun Huang, Yuanqing Li
medRxiv Preprint Server April 1, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.64898/2026.04.01.26349963 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 60 |
| Population | Individuals susceptible to carsickness |
| Intervention | sham feedback |
| Duration | 10-week intervention, one-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | MM-BCI neurofeedback training significantly reduced carsickness severity compared to sham feedback, and this improvement was associated with normalization of a neural signature in occipito-parietal cortex. |
Abstract
Carsickness impairs comfort and affects a large proportion of the population. However, interventions that provide a therapeutic solution to carsickness have yet to be established. Here we introduce a wearable mindfulness meditation brain–computer interface (MM-BCI) system as a closed-loop training therapy for carsickness. The system records electroencephalographic activity, decodes meditative state in real time and delivers audiovisual neurofeedback to scaffold meditation practice. In a 10-week randomized controlled trial, 60 individuals susceptible to carsickness were assigned to practice mindfulness meditation with either real-time MM-BCI neurofeedback or sham feedback, both during real-world car riding and at home. Critically, pre-intervention, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up assessments of carsickness severity were conducted during regular car riding without any task or feedback system. Relative to the sham group, the MM-BCI group showed significantly reduced carsickness severity at post-intervention and follow-up. At baseline, carsickness-susceptible participants exhibited a reduced aperiodic exponent in occipito-parietal cortex relative to non-susceptible controls, identifying a candidate neural signature of carsickness susceptibility. MM-BCI training increased this exponent toward non-susceptible levels, and the magnitude of this neural normalization was associated with the degree of symptom improvement. This study provides the first demonstration that BCI-enhanced mindfulness meditation can induce promising treatment effect on carsickness, offering a transformative non-pharmacological approach to enhance passenger well-being in everyday transit.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |