Motion Sickness

Background: Motion sickness (MS) is a common syndrome characterized by autonomic and behavioral symptoms, such as nausea and dizziness, resulting from exposure to motion stimuli. Its pathophysiology is closely linked to sensory conflict and postural instability theories. While previous studies suggest that postural control, proprioception, and reaction times are affected in individuals susceptible to MS, there is a lack of comprehensive, comparative research evaluating all these parameters concurrently within the same cohort using standardized methods. Objective: This study aims to systematically measure balance, proprioceptive sensitivity, coordination, and reaction time parameters, and quantitatively analyze their relationship with motion sickness severity. Methodology: In this prospective, cross-sectional study, at least 41 participants aged 18-40 with motion sickness will be recruited. Participants will undergo motion sickness susceptibility and severity grading using the Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire Short Form (MSSQ-SF) and the Graybiel Scale. Objective assessments will include static and dynamic balance testing (ProKin®), knee joint position sense (Clinometer app), manual dexterity and dynamic balance coordination (Nine-Hole Peg Test, Tandem Walk, Romberg Test), and upper/lower extremity reaction time measurements (BlazePod system).

The investigators have developed a self-administered rehabilitation tool that incrementally guides the user to increase head motion to mitigate motion sickness and enhance postural recovery following centrifugation or unilateral vestibular nerve deafferentation surgery.

The purpose of this research study is to learn how a wearable nerve stimulation device, the Spark Biomedical's Sparrow Ascent System™, impacts the development of spatial disorientation and/or motion sickness in a healthy population. Spatial disorientation is when there is a "mismatch" between where a person is, and where the sense organs in their body tell them where they are. These sense organs include the inner ear (the vestibular system), the eyes (the visual system), the sense of where one's legs, back, and neck are (proprioceptive system), and one's higher thinking (cognitive centers). If spatial disorientation is severe or occurs in motion-naïve individuals, spatial disorientation can lead to motion sickness. The Sparrow Ascent System™ is a wearable, battery-operated transcutaneous auricular (ear) neurostimulation (tAN) device. This means that it uses electrical pulses to stimulate branches of nerves on and/or around the ear, specifically the "vagus" and "trigeminal" nerves. These nerves are also responsible for your sensation of nausea and your heart rate (vagus nerve), as well as headaches (trigeminal nerve). The Sparrow System utilizes a flexible earpiece with embedded hydrogel electrodes that stick to the skin, the earpiece is disposable after use. This device is already Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for use in humans and is safely used for control of symptoms in a variety of other medical conditions, such as opioid withdrawal and acute stress reaction. In this study, we will determine if the Sparrow Ascent System™ impacts the development of spatial disorientation or motion sickness.