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Locomotion and motion sickness during horizontally and vertically reversed vision
M Takahashi1, A Saito, Y Okada
1Department of Otolaryngology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine
|February 1, 1991
Summary
Reversed vision disrupts balance and causes motion sickness, especially horizontal reversal. This highlights vision's crucial role in spatial orientation, even when inner ear (labyrinthine) input is absent.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Human Physiology
- Vestibular System Research
Background:
- The vestibular system, particularly otolithic input, is critical for maintaining balance and spatial orientation.
- Visual input significantly influences locomotion and can contribute to motion sickness.
- Sensory conflict, a mismatch between different sensory inputs, is a known cause of motion sickness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of horizontally and vertically reversed vision on locomotion and motion sickness in healthy individuals.
- To assess the impact of reversed vision on a patient with bilateral labyrinthine loss, examining their ability to maintain spatial orientation.
- To explore the differential role of visual input in spatial orientation compared to proprioceptive and otolithic inputs.
Main Methods:
- Ten healthy subjects and one patient with bilateral labyrinthine loss participated in the study.
- Locomotion and motion sickness were assessed under conditions of horizontally reversed vision and vertically reversed vision.
- Gait disturbances and self-reported motion sickness symptoms were recorded for each subject and condition.
Main Results:
- Horizontal visual reversal induced moderate to severe gait disturbances and motion sickness in all healthy subjects.
- Vertical visual reversal did not elicit significant gait disturbances or motion sickness in healthy subjects.
- The patient with bilateral labyrinthine loss experienced no motion sickness but exhibited severe gait disturbances during horizontal visual reversal.
Conclusions:
- Vision plays a significant role in spatial orientation, with horizontal visual input being particularly important for stable locomotion.
- The differing effects of horizontal versus vertical visual reversal suggest a directional bias in vision's contribution to spatial orientation.
- Sensory mismatch, especially between visual and vestibular/proprioceptive inputs, is a key factor in inducing motion sickness and gait disturbances.