Investigating the Effect of a Selected Exercise Training Course on the Motion Sickness in Pilots and Flight Crew Members of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

1 Faculty of Aerospace and Subterranean Medicine, Aja University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran

2 Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background and Aim: Motion sickness is a natural and temporary response to unfamiliar motor stimuli which reduces performance in complex tasks that require constant attention. The aim of this research was to study the effect of a special exercise training period on motion sickness in the pilots and flight crews of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Methods: In this study, 20 pilot students of Shahid Sattari Army Air Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran with an average (age of 21.10±1.31 years, weight of 70.27±8.23 kg, height of 173.32±5.77 cm) participated voluntarily. After completing the motion sickness questionnaire and based on the average age and scores of the rain seat test, they were divided into two equal training and control groups (n=10). The training group performed exercise training for four weeks (four sessions per week). The post-test was done after 72 hours from the last training session. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 24 software in two descriptive and inferential sections at a significant level (P<0.05).
Results: After four weeks of exercise intervention, the intragroup results showed a significant increase in the motion sickness tolerance variable only in the training group (P=0.001). Also, the intergroup results showed a significant difference between both training and control groups in the post-test (P=0.037).
Conclusion: According to the results, the special exercise training can cause a significant increase in motion sickness tolerance in pilots; by stimulating the visual-vestibular and vestibular systems. Therefore, based on these findings, it is recommended that the pilots who experience symptoms of motion sickness while flying, help to improve the current conditions by performing the suggested exercise interventions.

Keywords


1. Koch A, Cascorbi I, Westhofen M, Dafotakis M, Klapa S, Kuhtz-Buschbeck JP. The neurophysiology and treatment of motion sickness. Deutsches Ärzteblatt International. 2018;115(41):687. 2. HETTINGER L, KENNEDY R, MCCAULEY M. Motion and human performance. Motion and space sickness(A 93-55929 24-52) Boca Raton, FL, CRC Press, Inc, 1990. 1990:411-41. 3. Gresty M, Golding J. Impact of vertigo and spatial disorientation on concurrent cognitive tasks. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2009;1164(1):263-7. 4. Pandolf KB, Burr RE. Medical Aspects of Harsh Environments. Volume 2. WALTER REED ARMY MEDICAL CENTER WASHINGTON DC; 2002. 5. Murdin L, Golding J, Bronstein A. Managing motion sickness. Bmj. 2011;343. 6. Cheung B, Nakashima AM, Hofer KD. Various anti-motion sickness drugs and core body temperature changes. Aviation, space, and environmental medicine. 2011;82(4):409-15. 7. Koch KL. Gastric dysrhythmias: a potential objective measure of nausea. Experimental brain research. 2014;232(8):2553-61. 8. Stern R, Koch K, Leibowitz H, Lindblad I, Shupert C, Stewart W. Tachygastria and motion sickness. Aviation, space, and environmental medicine. 1985;56(11):1074-7. 9. Schaub N, Ng K, Kuo P, Aziz Q, Sifrim D. Gastric and lower esophageal sphincter pressures during nausea: a study using visual motion-induced nausea and high-resolution manometry. American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. 2014;306(9):G741-G7. 10. Heer M, Paloski WH. Space motion sickness: incidence, etiology, and countermeasures. Autonomic Neuroscience. 2006;129(1-2):77-9. 11. Eversmann T, Gottsmann M, Uhlich E, Ulbrecht G, Werder Kv, Scriba PC. Increased secretion of growth hormone, prolactin, antidiuretic hormone, and cortisol induced by the stress of motion sickness. Aviation, space & environmental medicine. 1978(1):53-7. 12. Golding JF. Phasic skin conductance activity and motion sickness. Aviation, space, and environmental medicine. 1992. 13. Kim HK, Park J, Choi Y, Choe M. Virtual reality sickness questionnaire (VRSQ): Motion sickness measurement index in a virtual reality environment. Applied ergonomics. 2018;69:66-73. 14. Golding JF. Motion sickness susceptibility. Autonomic Neuroscience. 2006;129(1-2):67-76. 15. Naqvi SAA, Badruddin N, Malik AS, Hazabbah W, Abdullah B, editors. Does 3D produce more symptoms of visually induced motion sickness? 2013 35th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC); 2013: IEEE. 16. Bos JE, Ledegang WD, Lubeck AJ, Stins JF. Cinerama sickness and postural instability. Ergonomics. 2013;56(9):1430-6. 17. Solimini AG. Are there side effects to watching 3D movies? A prospective crossover observational study on visually induced motion sickness. PloS one. 2013;8(2):e56160. 18. Li R, Peterson N, Walter HJ, Rath R, Curry C, Stoffregen TA. Real-time visual feedback about postural activity increases postural instability and visually induced motion sickness. Gait & posture. 2018;65:251-5. 19. Golding JF. Motion sickness susceptibility and management at sea. Maritime psychology: Springer; 2017. p. 151-83. 20. Bos J, Bles W. Modelling motion sickness and subjective vertical mismatch detailed for vertical motions. Brain research bulletin. 1998;47(5):537-42. 21. Bubka A, Bonato F, Urmey S, Mycewicz D. Rotation velocity change and motion sickness in an optokinetic drum. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine. 2006;77(8):811-5. 22. Gresty M, Golding J, Gresty J, Powar J, Darwood A, editors. The movement frequency tuning of motion sickness is determined by biomechanical constraints on locomotion. Poster presented at AeroSpace Medical Association 82nd Annual Meeting, Den’ina Convention Center, Anchorage, AL, USA May; 2011. 23. Hansson EE, Ma° nsson N-O, Ha° kansson A. Effects of specific rehabilitation for dizziness among patients in primary health care. A randomized controlled trial. Clinical Rehabilitation. 2004;18(5):558-65. 24. Topuz O, Topuz B, Ardiç FN, Sarhus M, Ögmen G, Ardiç F. Eficacy of vestibular rehabilitation on chronic unilateral vestibular dysfunction. Clinical rehabilitation. 2004;18(1):76-83. 25. Ghasemi E, Shayegannejad V, Ghorbani A, Momeni N, Khani F. The effectiveness of exercise-therapy on improvement of balance, gait, quality of life and depression in elderly patients with vertigo due to peripheral disturbances of vestibular system. Journal of Research in Rehabilitation Sciences. 2010;4(2). 26. Cheung B, Hofer K. Desensitization to strong vestibular stimuli improves tolerance to simulated aircraft motion. Aviation, space, and environmental medicine. 2005;76(12):1099-104. 27. Dai M, Raphan T, Cohen B. Prolonged reduction of motion sickness sensitivity by visual-vestibular interaction. Experimental brain research. 2011;210(3-4):503-13. 28. Ressiot E, Dolz M, Bonne L, Marianowski R. Prospective study on the efficacy of optokinetic training in the treatment of seasickness. European annals of otorhinolaryngology, head and neck diseases. 2013;130(5):263-8. 29. Stroud KJ, Harm DL, Klaus DM. Preflight virtual reality training as a countermeasure for space motion sickness and disorientation. Aviation, space, and environmental medicine. 2005;76(4):352-6. 30. Young LR, Sienko KH, Lyne LE, Hecht H, Natapoff A. Adaptation of the vestibulo-ocular reflex, subjective tilt, and motion sickness to head movements during short-radius centrifugation. Journal of vestibular research. 2003;13(2, 3):65-77. 31. Cowings PS, Toscano WB. Autogenic‐feedback training exercise is superior to promethazine for control of motion sickness symptoms. The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 2000;40(10):1154-65. 32. Lucertini M, Verde P, Trivelloni P. Rehabilitation from airsickness in military pilots: long-term treatment effectiveness. Aviation, space, and environmental medicine. 2013;84(11):1196-200. 33. Mathews MA, Camp AJ, Murray AJ. Reviewing the role of the efferent vestibular system in motor and vestibular circuits. Frontiers in physiology. 2017;8:552. 34. Black FO, Pesznecker SC. Vestibular adaptation and rehabilitation. Current opinion in otolaryngology & head and neck surgery. 2003;11(5):355-60. 35. Hall CD, Schubert MC, Herdman SJ. Prediction of fall risk reduction as measured by dynamic gait index in individuals with unilateral vestibular hypofunction. Otology & Neurotology. 2004;25(5):746-51. 36. Zhang LL, Wang JQ, Qi RR, Pan LL, Li M, Cai YL. Motion sickness: current knowledge and recent advance. CNS neuroscience & therapeutics. 2016;22(1):15-24. 37. Brainard A, Gresham C. Prevention and treatment of motion sickness. American family physician. 2014;90(1):41-6. 38. Wada Y, Nishiike S, Kitahara T, Yamanaka T, Imai T, Ito T, et al. Effects of repeated snowboard exercise in virtual reality with time lags of visual scene behind body rotation on head stability and subjective slalom run performance in healthy young subjects. Acta oto-laryngologica. 2016;136(11):1121-4. 39. Kaufman GD. Fos expression in the vestibular brainstem: what one marker can tell us about the network. Brain research reviews. 2005;50(1):200-11. 40. Nakagawa A, Uno A, Horii A, Kitahara T, Kawamoto M, Uno Y, et al. Fos induction in the amygdala by vestibular information during hypergravity stimulation. Brain research. 2003;986(1-2):114-23. 41. Pompeiano O, d'Ascanio P, Balaban E, Centini C, Pompeiano M. Gene expression in autonomic areas of the medulla and the central nucleus of the amygdala in rats during and after space flight. Neuroscience. 2004;124(1):53-69. 42. Ribeiro AdSB, Pereira JS. Balance improvement and reduction of likelihood of falls in older women after Cawthorne and Cooksey exercises. Brazilian journal of otorhinolaryngology. 2005;71(1):38-46.