Moving in a Moving World: A Review on Vestibular Motion Sickness

Experimental Brain Research, 2011

The angular vestibulo-ocular reflex (aVOR) and optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) were elicited simultaneously at low frequencies to study effects of habituation of the velocity storage time constant in the vestibular system on motion sickness. Twenty-nine subjects, eleven of whom were susceptible to motion sickness from common transportation, were habituated by sinusoidal rotation at 0.017 Hz at peak velocities from 5 to 20°/s, while they watched a full-field OKN stimulus. The OKN stripes rotated in the same direction and at the same frequency as the subjects, but at a higher velocity. This produced an OKN opposite in direction to the aVOR response. Motion sickness sensitivity was evaluated with off-vertical axis rotation (OVAR) and by the response to transportation before and after 5 days of visual-vestibular habituation. Habituation did not induce motion sickness or change the aVOR gains, but it shortened the vestibular time constants in all subjects. This greatly reduced motion sickness produced by OVAR and sensitivity to common transport in the motion susceptible subjects, which persisted for up to 18 weeks. Two motion susceptible subjects who only had aVOR/OKN habituation without being tested with OVAR also became asymptomatic. Normal subjects who were not habituated had no reduction in either their aVOR time constants or motion sickness sensitivity. The opposing aVOR/OKN stimulation, which has not been studied before, was well tolerated, and for the first time was an effective technique for rapid and prolonged habituation of motion sickness without exposure to drugs or other nauseating habituation stimuli.

Journal of Vestibular Research, 2021

We present diagnostic criteria for motion sickness, visually induced motion sickness (VIMS), motion sickness disorder (MSD), and VIMS disorder (VIMSD) to be included in the International Classification of Vestibular Disorders. Motion sickness and VIMS are normal physiological responses that can be elicited in almost all people, but susceptibility and severity can be high enough for the response to be considered a disorder in some cases. This report provides guidelines for evaluating signs and symptoms caused by physical motion or visual motion and for diagnosing an individual as having a response that is severe enough to constitute a disorder. The diagnostic criteria for motion sickness and VIMS include adverse reactions elicited during exposure to physical motion or visual motion leading to observable signs or symptoms of greater than minimal severity in the following domains: nausea and/or gastrointestinal disturbance, thermoregulatory disruption, alterations in arousal, dizziness...

Auditory and Vestibular Research, 2015

Background and Aim: Motion sickness (MS) is usually generated when there is a mismatch between the senses which serve balance. One of these senses is related to vestibular system, so it is highly possible that MS reflects in vestibular test results. But there are some conflicts in correlation between vestibular findings and MS. Thus, the objective of this study was to provide an overview of vestibular tests findings in individuals with MS. Recent Findings : It has been demonstrated that susceptible subjects to different types of MS have more pathologic results in vestibular tests, such as eye movement recordings and vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) results, asymmetry ratios and posturography results in particular. Conclusion : Based on abnormalities in various vestibular tests related to MS, possible contribution of signals from any part of the vestibular organ is likely in sensory conflict and triggering MS. Vestibular test results apparently can separate subjects with...

Seminars in Neurology, 2013

European Archives of Oto-Rhino- …, 2009

There exists no functional guide that can serve as a diagnostic tool for individual susceptibility to motion sickness (MS). We evaluated vestibular system functioning via a caloric test (which assesses functioning of the superior vestibular nerve) and the vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) test (which assesses inferior vestibular nerve functioning) in 20 MS susceptible and 20 nonsusceptible individuals. Susceptibility to MS was determined by self-declaration and with MS susceptibility questionnaire and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAS). We found statistically signiWcant diVerences for scores on the MS susceptibility questionnaire and HAS questionnaire; however, we found no correlation between VEMP and caloric test results. We suggest that VEMP and caloric test results are not aVected by individuals' susceptibility to MS. We could not Wnd vestibular system deWcits using the VEMP and caloric test combination. Our Wndings do not support vestibular function asymmetry in MS patients.

Audiology Research, 2020

Background/Objective: Slow-Phase Eye Velocity Time constant (SPEV TC) and Perceived Rotational Duration (PRD) are measurable objective outcomes of rotational chair step-velocity test. These two variables are dependent on the efficacy of the central velocity storage. If sensory conflict from the step-velocity of the rotational chair elicits motion sickness, the SPEV TC and PRD in individuals with varying susceptibility to motion sickness should be affected. We determined if Central Vestibular Sensitivity (CVS) characteristics differ among individuals with a range of Motion Sickness Susceptibility (MSS). Methods: Participants were allocated to two groups based on MSS (low and high) as identified on the short version of the Motion Sick Susceptibility Questionnaire (MSSQ-S). We evaluated the specific relationship between MSS and the characteristics of CVS through the SPEV TC and PRD from the step-velocity test. Results: Results showed significant differences in the PRD between these two...

Autonomic Neuroscience, 2006

Motion sickness can be caused by a variety of motion environments (e.g., cars, boats, planes, tilting trains, funfair rides, space, virtual reality) and given a sufficiently provocative motion stimulus almost anyone with a functioning vestibular system can be made motion sick. Current hypotheses of the 'Why?' of motion sickness are still under investigation, the two most important being 'toxin detector' and the 'vestibular-cardiovascular reflex'. By contrast, the 'How?' of motion sickness is better understood in terms of mechanisms (e.g., 'sensory conflict' or similar) and stimulus properties (e.g., acceleration, frequency, duration, visual-vestibular time-lag). Factors governing motion sickness susceptibility may be divided broadly into two groups: (i) those related to the stimulus (motion type and provocative property of stimulus); and (ii) those related to the individual person (habituation or sensitisation, individual differences, protective behaviours, administration of anti-motion sickness drugs). The aim of this paper is to review some of the more important factors governing motion sickness susceptibility, with an emphasis on the personal rather than physical stimulus factors.

The Journal of Otolaryngology, 2002

Journal of Travel Medicine, 1998

Motion sickness is a debilitating but usually shortlived illness which indiscriminately affects air, sea, road and space travelers. Only deaf mutes with nonfunctioning labyrinths are known to be immune to the malady. When man is exposed to an atypical force environment, the delicate harmony of the input from the sensors of the balance system is disrupted. The degree of motion sickness experienced can range from mild discomfort to severe and debilitating sickness. O f the normal population, 5% will suffer severely, 5% will be hardly affected, and the rest will suffer moderately from motion sickness.A consistent research finding is that women are more susceptible to the illness than men, and appear to have a higher susceptibility near the onset of menstruation or during pregnancy. This susceptibility increases to a maximum between the age of 12-21 years and is rare before the age of2 years.Age does not infer immunity to disruptions of normal motion, but incidence of travel sickness decreases between the ages of 21 and 40 years. The mildest condition of motionsickness is known as the Sopite syndrome, in which symptoms are limited to some gasping, drowsiness, a decreased interest in the local environment, and a tendency towards physical inactivity. What Causes Motion Sickness? Motion sickness is considered to be a physiological vertigo.The exact cause is stdl not understood despite much research, particularly related to the space program. It appears to arise tiom stimulation of the labyrinthine sense organs over a period oftime in an intense manner to,whch the body is not accustomed. I t may be related to a con

Applied Ergonomics, 1978

This paper reviews some of the more important theoretical and practical considerations relating to the widespread problem of motion sickness. A brief outline is given of the sensory rearrangement theory which seeks to define the essential nature of the nauseogenic stimulus. A wide range of provocative situations is classified as involving either a visual-inertial conflict, or a canal-otolith conflict or both. A number of behavioural measures by which the passenger can minimise the risk of motion sickness are described. Also considered are quantitative studies of vertical oscillatory motion, factors influencing motion sickness susceptibility (sex, age, exposure-history, receptivity and adpatability and personality characteristics), and the paper concludes with recommendations regarding the most effective use of anti-motion sickness drugs.