Coriolis effects are principally caused by gyroscopic angular acceleration

A cause of nausea evoked by cross-coupled rotation (termed Coriolis stimulus) was determined. Subjects were provided with two types of cross-coupled rotations: neck-forward flexion (Neck Flx) and upper body-forward flexion (Body Flx) during horizontal whole body rotation at a constant angular velocity. These Coriolis stimuli were given alternatively in an experimental sequence, and the severity of the nausea they evoked was compared by the subjects. The results indicated that the same quality of nausea was evoked by a slightly higher angular velocity during Body Flx (100.5 degrees/s) than during Neck Flx (90 degrees/s). While Body Flx generated Coriolis linear acceleration several times larger than Neck Flx, both the stimuli generated a similar magnitude of gyroscopic angular acceleration in this condition. Therefore, it was inferred that the nausea evoked by a Coriolis stimulus is principally caused by gyroscopic angular acceleration.