Neuropsychiatric observations of proprioceptive sensitivity in motion sickness susceptibility
Leimann Patt, H.O.; Baistrocchi, R.L.; Moia, P.I.
Aviation Space and Environmental Medicine 59(11 Pt 1): 1083-1088
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0095-6562 PMID: 3202792 Document Number: 323372
The assessment of motion sickness susceptibility is still an unsolved problem, due in part to its unclear etiology. We studied 16 referred patients suffering from "idiopathic motion sickness" and 4 pilots suffering from motion airsickness. All clinical and neurological tests proved negative, including electroencephalograms, electronystagmograms, Doppler studies, and computerized tomography of the brain. Cervical spine X-rays and personality characteristics were assessed. Simultaneously, 35 asymptomatic pilots and pilot applicants were studied as controls. Both groups were exposed to cross-coupled accelerations on a Barany chair at 15 rpm along with 0.5 Hz head flexions. The pathological group showed a straightened cerviacal curvature as well as a significantly higher degree of malaise (scale of Graybiel and Lackner). Their personalites were highly alexithymic or obsessive compared to the control group (Kruskal-Wallis Test). Alexithymic and obsessive personalities may express their stress reactions and psychic conflicts through somatic signs, such as cervical muscle contractures; consequently, straightening the cervical spine with the subsequent alteration of proprioceptive inputs to the vestibular nuclei may increase motion sickness susceptibility.