Motion sickness symptomology of labyrinthine defective and normal human subjects during zero gravity maneuver

Graybiel, A.

Kellogg, R. S.

Kennedy, R. S.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

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MOTION SICKNESSSYM_TOMATOLOGY
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NORMAL SUBJECTSDURING ZERO GRAVITY MANEUVERS
ROBERT S. KELLOGG, CAPTAIN, USAF, MSC
BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES LABORATORY
AEROSPACE MEDICAL RESEARCH LABORATORIES
ROBERT S. KENNEDY, LIEUTENANT. USN, MSC
U.S. NAVAL SCHOOL OF AVIATION MEDICINE
U.S. NAVAL AVIATION MEDICAL CENTER
ASHTON GRAYBIEL, CAPTAI,i, USN, MC
U.S. NAVAL SCHOOL OF AVIATION MEDICINE
U.S. NAVAL AVIATION MEDICAL CENTER
TECHNICAL DOCUMENTARY REPORT No. AMRI.,-TDR-64-47
JUN?" 1964
BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES LABORA'IORY
AEROSPACE MEDICAL RESEARCH LABORATORIES
AEROSPACE MEDICAL DIVISION
AIR FORCE SYSTEMS COMMAND
WRIGItT-PATI'ERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OHIO
Project No. 7184, Task No. 718405
1964018648
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19640018648 2020-03-11T17:08:38+00:00Z
FOr_RD
This report was prepared Joint]_ by the Human Engineering Division, Behavioral
Sciences Laboratory, 6570th Aerospace Medical Research LaboratorJ.es,Aerospace
Medical Divislon, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and the G. S. Naval
S_hool of Aviation Medicine, U. S. Naval Aviation Medical Center-S&, Pensacola,
Florida. The report represents one phase of the research program being conducted
by the Crew Stations Branch of the 6570th Aerospace Medical Research Laboratories,
under Project No. 718&, "Hums_lPerformance in Advanced Systems," Task No. 718&05,
"Design Criteria for Crew Stations in Advanced Systems." _le research was conduc-
ted under the sponsorship of the Office of Life Science Programs, National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration (Grant R-&7).
The authors expi_essappreciation to Captain John C. Sim_ns, Chief, Crew Stations
Branch, for stimulating interest in this research, to Dr. Melvin J. Warrick,
Assistant Chief, Human Engineering Division, for his significant assistance, and
to the L-D subjects who gave willingly of their time and energies to make this study
possible.
1964018648-002
Labyrinthine defective (L-D) and normal subjects were flown through zero-gravity
maneuvers and their motion sickness symptomatology observed. _he L-D subjects
showed no signs cf motion sickness, whereas 64 percent of the normal subjects
developed symptoms. The absence of functional labyrinthine mechanisms appreciably
decreased, and probably completely eliminated, susceptibility to motion sicSness
_11_ingzero-gravity maneuvers. _j_ _z_L_
PUBLICATION REVI_
This technical documentary report is approved.
WALTER F. GRETHER
Technical Director
Behavioral Sciences Laboratory
iii
1964018648-003
INTRODUCTION
The primary objective of this investigation was to compare the functional symptcms
of two groups of subjects during exposure to the force environment in a C-131B
aircraft flying through standardized Keplerian trajectories. One gl_up of subjects
was made up of persons with bilateral labyrinthine defects (L-D), while a second
group had normal vestibular function (normal subjects). A secondary objective was
to compare +_..__.._.___= o_+a_ned . i_.,+_o_..__...........t "-_+_._..th_e cbta_ned e_Lier
o11 some of the same subjects exposed to _tand%rdized acrobatics, wave action at
sea (ref 6), coriolis acceleration in a slowly rotating room*, and centripetal
force _n a counterrotating room (ref 5).
A survey of the pertinent literature has not disclosed any report dealing with
exposure of L-D subjects to weightlessness. There are a few reports describing
their participation in other types of _erimental flights, but no comment was made
regarding symptoms of motion sickness (refs 7,9).
Persons with normal vestibular function have been exposed to weightlessness in a
variety of experiments. The experiment which has been used most extensively is
the parabolic flight which produces weightlessness periods of lO to 60 seconds,
preceded and followed by high positive-G loads. In these flights, subjects were
either "restrained" (refs 3,16)or "free floating" (ref 8). Gerathewohl (ref 3)
has summarized his experience at the USAF School of Aviation Medicine in which 16
subjects were exposed to a total of 300 parabolas, during which 6 of the subjects
developed motion sickness. Von Beckh (ref 1), summarizing the experience at
Holloman Air Force Base, reported that 6 of 18 subjects became motion sick during
zero-gravity flights in a T-33 Jet aircraft. Loftus (ref 8) has summarized the
extensive experience of two groups of suhjects at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
In the first group, _5 persons participated in zero-G flights and 23 vomited cn one
or more flights. In the second group, 90 persons participated, 21 vomited ana 23
others reported nausea. Of the total of _who vomited, 60% experienced a recur-
rence of _usea in the evening of the day they were motion sick.
Three generalizations may be drawn from these experiences __th parabolic flights:
(1) the incidence of motion sickness was greater when subjects were "free floating'
as compared with being "restrained," (2) susceptibility to motion sickness is gen-
erally lower with increased flight experience_ and (3) weightlessness was not the
only variable and the motion sickness produced may have been influenced by the
other flight stresses, particularly the positive G's.
More prolonged exposures to weightlessness have been experienced in other types of
flights; namely, the X-15 (ref 12), the suborbital, and the orbital flights.
*Graybiel, A., and Clark, B. A report on a compariso_ of the symptoms experienced
by healthy persons and subjects with labyrinthine defects exposed to Coriolis
acceleration in a rotating environment. In preparation at the Naval School of
Aviation Medicine, Pensacola, Florida.
1964018648-005
From the information ave.liable,only Cosmonaut Titov (refs 2,13,14) experienced
symptoms characteristic of motion sickness. The fact that Glenn (ref A) reported
slight seasicknesses while in a life raft after impact points up the lack of
transfer frum whatever adaptation to unusual force environments he acquired in
flying to the environment at sea.
_,_rHODOLOGY
Subjects
The 6 L-D subjects tested ranged in age from 20 to A8 years. The principal clin-
ical findings on these subjects are summarized in Table I. The tests of otolith
function revealed sufficient variance to raise the question of residual function
in some instances.
The 19 normal subjects were made up of two groups, student subjects and re_alar
subjects. The former consisted of 9 healthy medical students, 21 to 25 years old.
A 10th candidate was not allowed to participate because his susceptibility to
motion sickness under other circumstances indicated undesirable complications might
ensue. The regular sub_3cts consisted of l0 _.nlistedmen, 18 to 21 years old, who
were assigned to the Naval School of Aviation Medicine for the express purpose of
participating in experiments. All 19 subjects were free of functional disorder,
defect or disease of the sensory organs of the i_inerear as deteI_ined by history,
audiogram, and the caloric test.
The Force Environment
Reference 18 describes in detail the force environment of the zero-gravity airplane.
A typical flight procedure, for convenience termed a "maneuver," consisted of a
shallow dive followed by a pullup generating 2.5 G and a pushover into a ballistic
trajectory with approximately l0 to 12 seconds of weightlessness. Recovery in-
volved a pullup generating about 2.5 G. Unless interrupted, a flight sequence con-
sisted of AD maneu:ers.
Procedure ,_
The subjects were thoroughly briefed regarding the nature of the _-xperimentand
were indoctrinated An safety procedures. They were seated in airline-type seats
and restrained by seat belts. The information sought was obtained with the aid of
four questionnaires. The first questionnaire dealt with the fitness of the subject
to participate and with his estimate of his concern and expected performance in
relation to others. The second questionnai_was used by the experimenter and con-
sisted of a checkoff list with rating scales of the signs and symptoms of motion
sickness. The third and fourth questionnaires were used to assist the subject and
experimenter in the final evaluation immediately after the flight.
2
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1964018648-007
RESULTS
As indicated in table _I, only two symptoms were rspoz_ed for the entire group of
L-D subjects and these symptoms were barely detectable. The L-D's as a group were
essentially symptom free. They enjoyed the flight and grasped every opportunity
to fly as an assistant or passenger. In these additional flights they appeared to
enjoy the experience of free-floating.
The normal subjects were ranked in order of decreasing susceptibility to the func-
tional symptoms of motion sickness. Four of the lO regular subjects (table III)
were regarded by the experimenter as less fit than normal although they rated
themselves as "fit." All except one regular subject completed the series of &O
maneuvers. This subject requested termination because of severe discomfort.
There were individual differences among the r_gular subjects but these differences
were r_otpredictable from their o-_nestimate of concern or performance. Of partic-
ular interest w_re the effects in the case of L whose verbatim report follows:
"Immediately after the flight, I noticed no unordinary aftereffects except a
little difficulty walking and a slight nausea. This lasted for about an hour after
the flight. Everything was fine until late Friday (day of flight) night. At
approximately 10:_5, I noticed difficulty in walking when I wa8 getting ready to
turn J.n. (Since about 8, I was watching 'I_and r.oticednothing.) Whenever I would
take a step, my foot would seem to keep falling. When I lay in my bed I seemed to
be tossir_ from side to side. I know I wasn't because I was holding on to my bed.
Several times I =ot out of bed and walked to the bathroom and while in the bathroom
would walk up and down seeing if it would stop. It would stop for a while and
start up again. I went to sleep, and when I woke up I felt normal until approxi-
mately lO when it started aga/n. I noticed it the most when ! would come from one
extreme to the other, ie, from very bright light to a place of shade, from a warm
space into a cold space or vice-versa, or when I would star.dup rapidly. Saturday,
around noon, I went to town, and it seemed to get worse. When I _ould sit down,
it would have a strong effect. This lasted until that (Saturday) night, varying
from a poir of strong effect to a weak one, and at times it would disappear entire-
ly. When p_ing to sleep Saturday night, I felt fine. Sunday morning I noticed it
very slightly every once in a while, then it seemed to clear up completely. Today,
Monday, I have no feelings of unstableness at all. 10:30."
Careful inquiry revealed no explanation for the sympSoms in t_zms of medical his-
tory or associated symptomatology. Subsequently, this sub._ectparticipated in a
series of flights in which he was exposed to even longer periods of weightlessness
without delayed aftereffects. This incident points up a troublesome deviation
from the usual pattern of vestibular sickness.
The studont subjects (table IV) also varied greatly in susceptibility but differed
from the regular group in that more fell at one extreme or the other. One flight
sequence was terminated after ten maneuvers at the request of two subjects. One
of the two subjects, Q, felt sick after one maneuver, and both subjects manifested
symptoms of anxiety, suggesbing that the flight acted in part as a nonspeclfic
stressor. Two other subjects who were on the same flight necessarily failed to
1964018648-008
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1964018648-009
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complete the predetermined number of maneuvers, but the early appearance of pa_lot
and sweating suggested that they were to be included among those _ho were Quite
susceptible. At the other extreme were two "insusceptibles" who showed no s_nptoms
of motion sic!_es_
The L-D subjects and the nine student subjects had been exposed to unusual force
en__ronments other than parabolic flight. A listing of the student subjects symp-
tomatology is given in table V. Since the L-D subjects showed no symptom._ in any
of the force environments, these subjects are not included in the table. The
student subjects, ranked in order of susceptibility to symptoms in the C-131 air-
craft show the same general trend of susceptibility which occurred i_ the other
force en_._rcr_ents.
5UM_RY AND DISCUSSION
SubJects wlth bilateral vestibular defects not orgy failed to show or reoort s_p-
toms of mot:_on sic_ess in parabolic flight but actually enjoyed the experience.
The likelihood of obtaining similar rez_ts in six normal persons with _nimal
flight experience is small. We assume the L-D subjects were representative of
labyrinthine defective subjects in general and that loss of vestibular f_ction !n
_he L-D subjects was responsible for their ].a_k of symptoms.
The inc.:._=n_eof symptoms in the normal subjects correspo:_ds closely to the results
reported by Loftus (ref _). Although Loftus reported a 5Lg _'_°_.........ce of symptoms
as compared to 3i% in this study, he used ;._mlting as the or_ly indicator of mot'.on
sichness. _:e percentages would very like]_v have been in even closer agreement if
other symptoms had been ccnsidered.
Apparently symptoms such as the ones Titov experienced in orbital flight may be
ascribed to vestibular D_uction. ._nat the other participants in orbital flight
did not experience symptoms mloht have been due either(]) to low basic suscepti-
bility, (2) to transfer of adaptation acquired in oth_z types of flight or acceler-
ative devices. (3) to the fact that weightlessness is not a strong precipitating
t
_actor, or (_I to a combination of these. Our findir_s indicate some persons are
resistant to motion sickness when maki_4 _r_nsitions in and out of the weightless
state, whereas the majority of naive persons with a normally functioring labyrinth
are highly susceptible. Although there is some evidence that experienced pilots
(ref I) are resistant to vestibulsa, sichless in weightlessness, there is little
actual proof of transfer of adaptation. We believe if weightlessness is a factor
in precipitating symptoms of motion sickness, it is not a strong factor.
8
1964018648-012
1964018648-013
LIST OF REFERENCES
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J. Brit. Interplanet. Soc., 13:244, 1954.
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Joint }htblications Research Service, Washington, D. C., 1962.
3. Gerathewohl, S. J., "Personal Experiences during Short Periods of Weightless-
ness Reported by Sixteen Subjects," Ast_____nauticaActa, 2:203-217, 1956.
_. " Interim Results of the _rst UnitedGlenn, J. H., "Pilot.s flight report,
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_ronautics and Space Administration, Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston,
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5. Graybiel, A. _ and Johnson, W. H., "A Comparison of the Symptomatology
Healthy Persons and Subjects with Loss of LabyrinthineExperienced by __
Function .Whe_ Exposed to Unusual Patterns of Centripetal Force in a
Counter-rotating Room," Ann otol. (In Press.)
6. Xennedy, R. A., and Graybiel, A., "The Validity of Tests of Canal Sickness
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7. Le_s, E. R., and Horn, H., "Medical Studies on the Feel of the Airship,"
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i0
1964018648-014
13. Sisakyan, N. M., and Yazdovsky, V. I. (Eds.), Physiological Responses of
Cosmonauts during Space Flight, AID Report 62-202, Library of Congress,
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Midiko-B1o[ogicheskiTe Issledovaniya, Moskv=, I_62. Air _orce Systen_
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Weightless State, '_Astronautik, 2:217-22A, 1961.
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ii
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Motion Sickness Symptomatology of Labyrinthine Defective and Normal Subjects During Zero Gravity Maneuvers

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