Preflight virtual reality training as a countermeasure for space motion sickness and disorientation.
BACKGROUND
Research suggests that preflight training in virtual reality devices can simulate certain aspects of microgravity and may prove to be an effective countermeasure for space motion sickness (SMS) and spatial disorientation (SD). It is hypothesized that exposing subjects preflight to variable virtual orientations, similar to those encountered during spaceflight, will reduce the incidence and/or severity of SMS and SD.


METHODS
Subjects were assigned to either a variable training (VT) or nonvariable training (NVT) condition to perform a simple navigation and switch activation task in a virtual space station. VT subjects performed the task starting in several different orientations, whereas NVT subjects always performed the task starting in the same orientation. On a separate day, all subjects then performed the same task in a transfer of training session starting from a novel orientation.


RESULTS
When exposed to the novel test orientation, VT subjects performed the tasks more quickly (12%) and with fewer nausea symptoms (53%) than during the training session, compared with NVT subjects who performed more slowly (6%) and with more nausea symptoms (28%). Both VT and NVT conditions were effective in reducing the number of wall hits in the novel orientation (39% and 34%, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
These results demonstrate the effectiveness of using variable training in a virtual environment for reducing nausea and improving task performance in potentially disorienting surroundings, and suggest that such training may be developed into an effective countermeasure for SMS, SD, and associated performance decrements that occur in spaceflight.
Stroud
Kenneth J
KJ
Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado at Boulder, CO, USA. stroud@colorado.edu
Harm
Deborah L
DL
Klaus
David M
DM
D000328:Adult; D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003221:Confusion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013026:Space Flight; D018489:Space Motion Sickness / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching; D013997:Time Factors; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D018474:Weightlessness Simulation