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Mechanisms and Treatment of Motion Illness

  • Conference paper
Nausea and Vomiting: Mechanisms and Treatment

Part of the book series: Advances in Applied Neurological Sciences ((NEUROLOGICAL,volume 3))

Abstract

The question of why man develops motion sickness may be approached from several points of view. The human species is not alone in being susceptible to motion sickness: an equivalent pattern of symptoms can be induced by appropriate types of motion in a wide range of mammals (e.g. monkeys, horses, dogs, cats, seals) in birds, and even in fish. To the evolutionist, the problem is to understand what the survival value is of a pattern of symptoms evoked by certain types of motion stimulus that culminates in vomiting. From the practical point of view, it is necessary to know what the characteristics of those forms of motion are which lead to motion sickness as compared with those that do not. Such information also gives some indication of the likely neurophysiological mechanisms involved in motion sickness. From the point of view of the physiologist, interest is focussed on the mechanisms by which orientation and motion are sensed and on the sequence of events both within the central nervous system (CNS) and in other body systems that constitute the syndrome of motion sickness. Individual susceptibility in man varies widely and attempts have been made to find psychological and physiological measures that correlate with susceptibility. A further insight into the causal mechanisms of motion sickness comes from observation of the drugs which offer some protection. Such prophylactic drugs are drawn from several pharmacological groups, an indication that several neurotransmitters may be involved in the sequence of events leading to motion sickness.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Royal Air Force Institute of Aviation Medicine, Farnborough, Hampshire, UK

    J. R. R. Stott

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  1. J. R. R. Stott
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Royal Navy, Corpus Christi College, Oxford, UK

    Christopher J. Davis BSc (Hons), MB, BS, AKC (Surgeon Lieutenant Commander, Senior Specialist in Applied Physiology (Royal Navy) and Research Training Fellow) (Surgeon Lieutenant Commander, Senior Specialist in Applied Physiology (Royal Navy) and Research Training Fellow)

  2. University Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Radcliffe Infirmary, OX2 6HE, Oxford, UK

    Christopher J. Davis BSc (Hons), MB, BS, AKC (Surgeon Lieutenant Commander, Senior Specialist in Applied Physiology (Royal Navy) and Research Training Fellow) (Surgeon Lieutenant Commander, Senior Specialist in Applied Physiology (Royal Navy) and Research Training Fellow)

  3. Medical Department, Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd (UK), OX12 ODQ, Wantage Oxfordshire, UK

    Gerry V. Lake-Bakaar BSc (Hons), MD, MRCP (Research Gastroenterology Physician and Director of Medical Affairs) (Research Gastroenterology Physician and Director of Medical Affairs)

  4. University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    David G. Grahame-Smith MA, MB, BSc, PhD, FRCP (Rhodes Professor of Clinical Pharmacology, Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Honorary Director of the MRC Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford and Honorary Consultant, Physician) (Rhodes Professor of Clinical Pharmacology, Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Honorary Director of the MRC Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford and Honorary Consultant, Physician)

  5. General Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Oxford Health Authority, OX2 6HE, Oxford, UK

    David G. Grahame-Smith MA, MB, BSc, PhD, FRCP (Rhodes Professor of Clinical Pharmacology, Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Honorary Director of the MRC Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford and Honorary Consultant, Physician) (Rhodes Professor of Clinical Pharmacology, Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Honorary Director of the MRC Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford and Honorary Consultant, Physician)

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© 1986 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Stott, J.R.R. (1986). Mechanisms and Treatment of Motion Illness. In: Davis, C.J., Lake-Bakaar, G.V., Grahame-Smith, D.G. (eds) Nausea and Vomiting: Mechanisms and Treatment. Advances in Applied Neurological Sciences, vol 3. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70479-6_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70479-6_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-70481-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-70479-6

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