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Artificial gravity: head movements during short-radius centrifugationShort-radius centrifugation is a potential countermeasure to long-term weightlessness. Unfortunately, head movements in a rotating environment induce serious discomfort, non-compensatory vestibulo-ocular reflexes, and subjective illusions of body tilt. In two experiments we investigated the effects of pitch and yaw head movements in participants placed supine on a rotating bed with their head at the center of rotation, feet at the rim. The vast majority of participants experienced motion sickness, inappropriate vertical nystagmus and illusory tilt and roll as predicted by a semicircular canal model. However, a small but significant number of the 28 participants experienced tilt in the predicted plane but in the opposite direction. Heart rate was elevated following one-second duration head turns. Significant adaptation occurred following a series of head turns in the light. Vertical nystagmus, motion sickness and illusory tilt all decreased with adaptation. Consequences for artificial gravity produced by short-radius centrifuges as a countermeasure are discussed. Grant numbers: NCC 9-58. c 2001. Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Document ID
20040088702
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Young, L. R.
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology United States)
Hecht, H.
Lyne, L. E.
Sienko, K. H.
Cheung, C. C.
Kavelaars, J.
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
August 1, 2001
Publication Information
Publication: Acta astronautica
Volume: 49
Issue: 3-10
ISSN: 0094-5765
Subject Category
Aerospace Medicine
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
Non-NASA Center
NASA Discipline Neuroscience

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