What Causes Motion Sickness?

Reported May 2007

MINNEAPOLIS (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- There are plenty of treatments for motion sickness, but no one really knows what causes it. And why are some people affected, but not everybody? Human factors researchers at the University of Minnesota are conducting experiments to discover exactly what causes motion sickness.

The researchers attach sensors to the test subject's head and place him in a simulated room that slowly sways back and forth. Here, they study how exaggerated or "wobbly" body motions may cause motion sickness.

Tom Stoffregen, Ph.D., a professor of human movement science at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis told Ivanhoe about the experiments, "It's very common sense to think that that when you get motion sick you get wobbly, and what we're doing is, looking at things in exactly the opposite order that it may be that people become wobbly before they get sick. And that it's only the people that become wobbly that later get sick."

Dr. Stoffregen doesn't believe the inner-ear theory, because the inner ear isn't affected in his experiments that create visual, not physical, movement. The sophisticated sensors used in the experiments pick up subtle movements. Those who move a lot, although barely visible, are the ones that get sick. He says it's like they're subconsciously moving to compensate for the motion, but they're only making it worse.

Dr. Stoffregen says, "People who are going to get sick first become wobbly, and it's fair to say that by becoming wobbly they make themselves sick." For now, researchers can't predict who's going to get sick, but experts say the best way to prevent motion sickness is to lie down and close your eyes.

The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society contributed to the information contained in the TV portion of this report.

Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:

Thomas A. Stoffregen, Ph.D.
Director, Human Factors Research Laboratory
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-626-1056
tas@umn.edu

Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
Santa Monica, CA 90406
310-394-1811
http://www.hfes.org

You've heard the expression and now on May 31st you can see a real blue moon.

Watching animated characters come alive is amazing to watch, but new technology may make it impossible to tell animated from real.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at how high school math helps animated movies come to life.

We've got a simple way for you to do your part in the fight against global warming. It may be as simple as planting a tree -- and we'll tell you how to get them for free!

Every year, one in five Americans will get the flu. Antibiotics won't help fight it. Now a quick test can help doctors make a fast diagnosis and stop prescribing the wrong drugs.

It costs a lot of money to light up an office. Now, an easy solution makes the most of those sunny days at work.

A new, high-tech system that can efficiently harness the power of the sun.

Diabetes affects over 20-million Americans. It can cause blindness. Now a new treatment is helping save sight.

Feeling dizzy, blurry vision, upset stomach? It's called motion sickness, and now researchers are moving in on what causes it.

Ceramic brakes will soon be on a car near you -- saving you money and maintenance.

Do clean-air laws impact the air we breathe? Satellites prove what a difference a decade makes.

Outer space is a big place, and astronomers need your help to search the universe for planets.