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Relationship between temporal changes in cardiac parasympathetic activity and motion sickness severity
Peter J Gianaros1, Karen S Quigley, Eric R Muth
1Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine Research Program, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA. gianarospj@msx.upmc.edu
Psychophysiology
|May 20, 2003
Summary
Nausea and motion sickness symptoms worsen over time as cardiac parasympathetic activity decreases during illusory self-motion. This suggests reduced heart regulation is linked to motion sickness severity.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular physiology
- Neuroscience
- Human sensory perception
Background:
- Chemotherapy-induced nausea is linked to reduced cardiac parasympathetic activity over time.
- This study investigates if similar physiological changes occur during motion sickness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if a time-related decrease in cardiac parasympathetic activity is associated with motion sickness symptoms during illusory self-motion (vection).
Main Methods:
- Fifty-nine healthy adults were exposed to a rotating optokinetic drum to induce vection.
- Motion sickness symptoms and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), an estimate of cardiac parasympathetic activity, were measured over time.
Main Results:
- Motion sickness symptoms increased, and RSA decreased progressively during vection.
- A greater decline in RSA correlated with increased motion sickness severity.
Conclusions:
- A time-related decrease in cardiac parasympathetic activity is a significant correlate of motion sickness.
- These findings suggest a common physiological mechanism underlying nausea in different contexts.