An evaluation of cognitive-behavioral therapy for training resistance to visually-induced motion sickness

This investigation examined the techniques for reducing visually-induced motion sickness. On the basis of their responses to a motion sickness history questionnaire, 32 subjects were selected and assigned to 1 of 4 groups such that the groups were matched on the basis of their ability to tolerate visually-induced apparent motion (VM). One group received 10 sessions of desensitization training only (DT); a second group received 10 sessions of cognitive therapy only (CT); a third group received 10 sessions of combined desensitization and cognitive therapy treatment (CG); and a fourth group received no treatment (C). (There are many speculations about why and how an individual's response changes with repeated stimulation. We have arbitrarily selected the term desensitization to connote the decrease in sensitivity over time with repeated exposures). The results indicated that only the groups which received cognitive therapy (i.e., CT and CG) exhibited significant increases in tolerance to VM when pretreatment measures were compared to posttreatment measures. No significant differences in pre- vs. posttreatment measures were observed in the desensitization only or control groups (i.e., DT and C). A similar pattern of results was obtained with the symptomatology data.