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Optokinetic nystagmus, vection, and motion sickness
Moira B Flanagan1, James G May, Thomas G Dobie
1Department of Psychology, College of Sciences, University of New Orleans, Lakefront, LA 70148, USA. mbflanagan2002@yahoo.com
Background:
Two current theories concerning the etiology of motion sickness (MS)-the eye movement hypothesis and sensory conflict theory-were evaluated under conditions that manipulated the degree of optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) and/or vection.
Method:
Eye movement and perceptual responses were elicited with whole field stimulation in a vertically striped rotating drum and modulated with fixation and/or a restriction of the field of view (FOV). Measures of OKN, vection, and MS were recorded under the various conditions.
Results:
Both visual field restriction and/or fixation diminished circular vection, OKN, and MS. Conditions involving both fixation and restricted FOV resulted in greater reductions in MS than did either restriction alone.
Conclusions:
These findings lend support to a multi-factor explanation of MS, involving both sensory conflict and eye movement.