Summary: Lower prefrontal cortex activity during creative virtual reality drawing tasks suggests an increased relaxation response.
Source: Drexel University
Virtual reality (VR) is expanding in clinical and therapeutic settings, moving beyond exposure therapies for phobias and trauma to new roles in creative arts therapies and mental health interventions.
Researchers at Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions and the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems conducted one of the first studies to measure brain activity during different VR drawing tasks. They compared prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation while participants completed a repetitive tracing task and a creative self-expression task, and they explored whether a calming fragrance altered neural responses.
Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a wearable optical neuroimaging method, the team continuously monitored PFC activation while participants wore VR headsets and used hand controllers to produce 3-D drawings with the Tilt Brush virtual software. fNIRS provided an objective biomarker of PFC engagement during both active artmaking and rest periods.
The study found clear differences between the two drawing conditions. The rote tracing task produced higher PFC activity, consistent with engagement of focused attention and executive processing. By contrast, the creative self-expression task—an adapted scribble-drawing technique commonly used in art therapy to encourage spontaneity—was associated with reduced PFC activation, suggesting a relaxation response and the potential for a flow state during free creative expression.
“Repetitive tasks, like rote tracing, can enhance focus, while creative self-expressive tasks can reduce prefrontal load and induce relaxation and flow,” said Girija Kaimal, EdD, associate professor in the College of Nursing and Health Professions and lead author of the study. The findings support the idea that different drawing exercises engage distinct brain networks and could be used strategically in therapeutic contexts to achieve specific outcomes.
Because VR temporarily detaches users from their immediate physical environment, the research team also evaluated whether scent could influence grounding and awareness during the artmaking tasks. On alternating weeks, a blend of essential oils was diffused into the lab and dissipated shortly after the diffuser was turned off. Participants were blinded to whether fragrance was present and were randomly assigned to experience either the fragrance or the non-fragrance condition first, returning for a second session at least one week later.
Although the overall sample did not show a significant effect of fragrance on PFC activation, subgroup analyses revealed differences in responsiveness by age and gender, indicating that scent may modulate neural responses in specific populations. The authors emphasize that these emergent differences warrant further study with larger and more diverse samples to clarify who might benefit most from combined VR and olfactory stimuli.
The study enrolled 24 healthy adults (18 women and six men), ages 18 to 54. Each participant completed two one-hour sessions during which they alternated between the two five-minute drawing tasks and rest periods while wearing the fNIRS sensor and VR equipment. An art therapist followed a scripted protocol to ensure standardized instructions: the rote task involved tracing basic shapes on a pre-drawn virtual template, while the creative task invited participants to adapt a scribble-drawing method to produce spontaneous 3-D imagery.
“Wearable optical neuroimaging enables continuous measurement of brain function during VR use and allows studying natural, dynamic processes like creating art in virtual spaces,” said Hasan Ayaz, PhD, associate professor in the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems and a co-author on the study. The portable nature of fNIRS makes it well suited for measuring neural markers of creativity and engagement during interactive, real-world tasks such as VR artmaking.
These results suggest practical implications for clinicians and therapists: selecting between repetitive and expressive art tasks may help target attention, relaxation, or creative flow in patients, and VR offers a flexible platform to deliver these interventions. The findings also point to the potential for multimodal approaches that combine visual, kinesthetic, and sensory inputs—such as scent—to tailor therapeutic experiences.
Funding: This research was jointly funded by Drexel University and the International Arts + Mind Lab in the Pedersen Brain Science Institute at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Additional research: The authors have conducted further work on VR and scent in collaboration with Susan Magsamen, executive director of the International Arts + Mind Lab.
About this art and neuroscience research news
Author: Annie Korp
Source: Drexel University
Contact: Annie Korp – Drexel University
Image: The image is credited to Arun Ramakrishnan
Original Research: Open access. Title: “Exploratory fNIRS Assessment of Differences in Activation in Virtual Reality Visual Self-Expression Including With a Fragrance Stimulus” by Girija Kaimal et al., published in Art Therapy.
Abstract
Exploratory fNIRS Assessment of Differences in Activation in Virtual Reality Visual Self-Expression Including With a Fragrance Stimulus
This within-subjects experimental study assessed prefrontal cortex activation with fNIRS during two VR drawing conditions—rote tracing and creative self-expression—both with and without a fragrance stimulus. The sample included 24 healthy adults (18 women, 6 men), ages 18–54. Results showed that rote tracing elicited higher PFC activity than creative self-expression. While fragrance did not produce a significant overall effect, differences in sensitivity to scent emerged across age and gender groups. The data suggest that repetitive tasks may enhance focused attention, whereas creative self-expressive tasks may lower PFC load and promote relaxation and flow.