Abstract

Chronic motion sensitivity (CMS) often leads to a variety of symptoms including postural instability. There is limited research describing the effects of active head motion on standing postural stability in adults with motion sensitivity. Previous research has described the negative effects of chronic motion sensitivity on postural stability during active head motion. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of slow and fast head motions, in multiple planes, on postural stability in healthy middle-aged adults with and without CMS. Secondary objective was to compare the effects of head motion on postural stability between young and middle-aged adults, and between groups with and without CMS. Forty healthy middle-aged adults from 45 to 64 years were recruited. Twenty participants had a history of CMS and 20 participants did not. Prior to data collection, all participants were trained on specific parameters of active cervical rotation, flexion, and extension during horizontal and vertical directions at slow and fast velocities. Secondary, participants aged 20 to 40 years, with and without CMS, were recruited for this second study objective. Participants were assigned to one of two groups (CMS or non-CMS) using the Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire-Short Form. Postural stability was measured during static and dynamic head motions using the Bertec TM Balance Computerized Dynamic Posturography with Immersion Virtual Reality. Mean postural stability was significantly different between participants with versus without CMS in all conditions of head motion (slow horizontal, slow vertical, fast horizontal, and fast vertical). During slow head motion velocity, mean postural stability was significantly different by direction (vertical versus horizontal), however, there was no significant group by direction effect. During fast head motion velocity, mean postural stability did not differ significantly by direction and group by direction. Additionally, Mean ± standard error postural stability of participants with CMS was significantly worse than those without CMS in both vertical (89.7±0.6 versus 91.9±0.6, p=0.01, partial ƞ2 =0.10), and horizontal head motion conditions (90.3±0.5 versus 92.5±0.6, p=0.01, partial ƞ2 =0.10). However, mean postural stability in both vertical and horizontal conditions did not significantly differ by age group. In conclusion, the results suggest that healthy middle-aged adults without CMS have better postural stability during head motion compared to those with CMS. Also, adults with CMS have less postural stability during head motion in both planes compared to adults without CMS.

LLU Discipline

Physical Therapy

Department

Physical Therapy

School

School of Allied Health Professions

First Advisor

Eric Johnston

Second Advisor

Noha Daher

Third Advisor

Shilpa Gaikwad

Degree Name

Doctor of Science (DSc)

Degree Level

D.Sc.

Year Degree Awarded

2019

Date (Title Page)

6-2019

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Head Movements; Motion Sickness; Postural Balance

Type

Dissertation

Page Count

xiii, 87 p.

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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