Study on the effects of exercise intervention combined with virtual reality technology on emotions and brain networks in secondary school students with depressive symptoms

Background This study aimed to investigate the functional connectivity characteristics of brain networks in secondary school students with depressive symptoms and to analyze the effects of exercise combined with virtual reality intervention on improving brain networks and emotional states, providing a neurobiological basis for early identification and precise intervention. Methods This study recruited 98 middle school students aged 13 to 18 as research subjects, including 50 in the subclinical depression (ScD) group and 48 in the healthy control (HC) group. The experimental intervention employed a 2×3 two-way mixed design analysis of variance (Two-way ANOVA). All exercise intervention groups underwent 15 minutes of moderate-intensity (50%-80% HRmax) power cycling training. The exercise intervention combined with virtual reality technology group completed their training in an immersive natural landscape environment. Resting-state EEG signals were recorded before and after the intervention, and emotional state changes were assessed using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The cerebral cortex was segmented into 78 regions based on the Schaefer template. Phase-locked value ( P L V = 1 T | ∑ t = 1 T e i ( ϕ i ( t ) - ϕ j ( t ) ) | ) was used as a functional connectivity metric to quantify brain network synchrony in the theta, alpha, and beta frequency bands. Statistical comparisons were performed using independent samples t-tests and two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results Exercise intervention combined with virtual reality technology significantly improved θ and α band SMN-DMN, DAN-SN connectivity, and DMN/DAN activity ( p < 0.05), outperforming conventional exercise. β band SMN-DMN and CEN-DMN activity increased ( p< 0.05). The exercise intervention combined with virtual reality technology significantly increased positive emotions (t = -22.351, p < 0.05) and reduced negative emotions (t = 27.257, p < 0.001). Conclusion Depressive symptoms in adolescents are associated with multifrequency brain network dysregulation. Combining exercise intervention with virtual reality technology (VR-EI) optimizes key brain network connectivity and activity in the theta and alpha bands through multisensory stimulation. Its mood-enhancing effects surpass those of conventional exercise, offering a promising new strategy for personalized intervention in adolescent depression.