Sensorimotor aspects of high-speed artificial gravity: III. Sensorimotor adaptation

As a countermeasure to the debilitating physiological effects of weightlessness, astronauts could live continuously in an artificial gravity environment created by slow rotation of an entire spacecraft or be exposed to brief daily "doses" in a short radius centrifuge housed within a non-rotating spacecraft. A potential drawback to both approaches is that head movements made during rotation may be disorienting and nauseogenic. These side effects are more severe at higher rotation rates, especially upon first exposure. Head movements during rotation generate aberrant vestibular stimulation and Coriolis force perturbations of the head-neck motor system. This article reviews our progress toward distinguishing vestibular and motor factors in side effects of rotation, and presents new data concerning the rates of rotation up to which adaptation is possible. We have studied subjects pointing to targets during constant velocity rotation, because these movements generate Coriolis motor perturbations of the arm but do not involve unusual vestibular stimulation. Initially, reaching paths and endpoints are deviated in the direction of the transient lateral Coriolis forces generated. With practice, subjects soon move in straighter paths and land on target once more. If sight of the arm is permitted, adaptation is more rapid than in darkness. Initial arm movement trajectory and endpoint deviations are proportional to Coriolis force magnitude over a range of rotation speeds from 5 to 20 rpm, and there is rapid, complete motor adaptation at all speeds. These new results indicate that motor adaptation to high rotation rates is possible. Coriolis force perturbations of head movements also occur in a rotating environment but adaptation gradually develops over the course of many head movements.