Vestibular patients exhibit drawing and writing vertical compression similar to astronauts during spaceflight

This study aimed to examine how vestibular dysfunction influences spatial perception and motor output, using drawing tasks as a tool to explore changes in body schema.

Twenty patients with otolith dysfunction were compared to eight astronauts tested before, during, and after six months of exposure to microgravity aboard the International Space Station. Participants were instructed to draw squares, circles, and crosses, and write words both horizontally and vertically. Patients performed the tasks using pen and paper, whereas astronauts completed them on a digital tablet in microgravity.

When performing these tasks with eyes closed, vestibular patients frequently produced drawings and handwriting that were more vertically compressed compared to when their eyes were open. Similarly, astronauts exhibited greater vertical compression in drawings and handwriting during spaceflight compared to their preflight performance.

These findings highlight the critical role of vestibular input in integrating multisensory information to preserve consistent spatial representations.