Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation as a Novel Treatment for Seasickness

Medical Corps, Israel Defense Force54 enrolled

Overview

subjects with severe seasickness, who failed to habituate to sea conditions after at least six month of active sailing, were enrolled to the single-blind randomized control study. The intervention group was treated with rotatory chair stimulation at sinusoidal harmonic acceleration protocol coupled with galvanic vestibular stimulation to the mastoid processes. This unique procedure was hypothesized to promote habituation to seasickness. The control group underwent a sham procedure. All study participants filled out seasickness questionnaires at set time points following the intervention and underwent repeated step testing to determine their vestibular time constant. The number of anti-motion sickness clinic visits and scopolamine prescriptions was also recorded in the three months period following the intervention.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Motion Sickness Seasickness Habituation Vestibular Time Constant

Interventions

GVS stimulation coupled with inverse phase rotatory chair stimulation at sinusoidal harmonic acceleration protocolPROCEDURE

GVS stimulation coupled with inverse phase rotatory chair stimulation at sinusoidal harmonic acceleration protocol

Sham procedurePROCEDURE

Participants with severe motion sickness were sited in the the rotatory chair with the videonystagmography recorder masking their eyes, while two galvanic vestibular stimulation electrodes were connected to the mastoid processes. No active stimulus was given.

Eligibility

Sex: MALEMin age: 19 YearsMax age: 44 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * maximum score of 7 on the Wiker seasickness questionnaire in moderate sea conditions, with wave height of 0 - 1.5 m * All had been sailing regularly for at least six months before enrolling in the study Exclusion Criteria: * history of hearing loss * otoscopic findings of ear pathology * an implanted electrode * a finding of vestibulopathy on otoneurologic examination * withdrawal by any subject of his informed consent.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Vestibular time constant

Vestibular time constant was measured using repeated rotatory chair stimulation in step protocol.

Time frame: Until one month following the intervention

Seasickness severity

Seasickness severity as determined by Wiker questionnaire at set time frames following the intervention

Time frame: Until one month following the intervention

scopolamine drug prescription

scopolamine drug prescriptions were calculated for each participant and compared between the two groups

Time frame: Until three months following the intervention

Anti-motion sickness clinic visits

Anti-motion sickness clinic visits were calculated for each participant and compared between the two groups

Time frame: Until three months following the intervention