Electrical vestibular stimulation and space motion sickness

• Published in: Acta astronautica Vol. 28; pp. 401 - 408
• Main Author: Severac, Alexandra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.08.1992
• Subjects: Adult; Cephalometry; Disease Susceptibility; Electric Stimulation; Female; Head Movements; Humans; Male; Mastoid; Motion Perception; Postural Balance - physiology; Proprioception; Severity of Illness Index; Space Motion Sickness - etiology; Space Motion Sickness - physiopathology; Vestibule, Labyrinth - physiology; Visual Perception; Weightlessness Simulation - adverse effects; Weightlessness Simulation - methods
• ISSN: 0094-5765; 1879-2030
• DOI: 10.1016/0094-5765(92)90044-J

Electrical vestibular stimulation (EVS) in dynamic balance condition was studied in order to search for a new provocative test of space motion sickness (SMS). SMS is usually attributed to a sensory conflict caused by exposure to microgravity. Vestibular information is conflicting but also unusual and insignificant. EVS is in accordance with this feature because it is not the adequate stimulus of the vestibular receptors. EVS was achieved by means of binaural electrical stimulation. Effects of EVS were potentiated by compelling the subject to maintain dynamic balance on a seesaw. The quantification of this function was performed before, during and after EVS in order to investigate a possible relationship between objective consequences of EVS i.e. dynamic balance disturbances, and the discomfort experienced by the subjects. Dynamic balancing skill was statistically worsened during EVS. Moreover EVS evoked subjective symptoms of SMS in 17 out of the 30 subjects examined. During EVS in eyes open conditions, the subjects who encountered the strongest discomfort, presented the most disturbed dynamic balance, evidencing a relationship between the level of discomfort and the imbalance arising from EVS. This method could thus constitute an interesting basis of SMS ground-based test.