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Study on experimental motion sickness in children
M Takahashi1, I Toriyabe, Y Takei
1Department of Otolaryngology, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, Japan.
Insights
Young children experience significant gait instability and disorientation when their spatial orientation is challenged, unlike older children who show milder gait issues. This suggests immature sensory-motor control mechanisms in younger age groups.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric neurology
- Vestibular system function
- Sensory integration
Background:
- Motion sickness is a common issue in children.
- Understanding the specific challenges children face with spatial orientation is crucial for developing interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize motion sickness symptoms and gait instability in children aged 4-15.
- To investigate the relationship between age and the severity of autonomic symptoms and gait disorders.
Main Methods:
- 90 children aged 4-15 years participated.
- Participants walked while wearing horizontally reversing goggles to induce spatial disorientation.
- Autonomic nervous symptoms and gait parameters were assessed.
Main Results:
- Younger children (kindergarten age) exhibited significant gait instability, falling frequently, and an inability to move effectively.
- While sickness severity increased with age, gait disorder severity decreased.
- Headache was the primary autonomic symptom reported by younger children.
Conclusions:
- Immature perception of spatial orientation and action control likely contributes to severe instability in young children.
- The lack of an effective 'alarm function' against disorientation exacerbates instability in younger children.
- Age-related maturation of sensory-motor systems influences the response to spatial disorientation.
Abstract:
To clarify the characteristics of motion sickness in children we investigated autonomic nervous symptoms and instability evoked by walking while wearing horizontally reversing goggles in 90 children aged 4 to 15 years. Kindergarten children had hardly any autonomic nervous symptoms except headache; however, they often fell, could not stand up or move, and exhibited a to-and-fro deviation gait. Although the frequency and severity of sickness gradually increased during growth, the severity of gait disorder became milder as age increased. On the basis of these findings it seems likely that functions which perceive disorder of spatial orientation and action are immature in young children, and once spatial orientation is impaired, instability becomes very severe, since inadequate control is not stopped by an alarm function against disorientation.