Effect of Acceleration Frequency on Spatial Orientation Mechanisms

Extreme motion environments can induce loss of visual acuity, motion sickness, and spatial disorientation. Understanding how human sensory integration of acceleration stimuli affects spatial awareness will improve models of spatial disorientation and mishap analysis. While there are numerous studies describing vestibular semicircular canal responses to angular acceleration, less is known about vestibular otolith responses to linear acceleration. This gap in knowledge is important to resolve, since seasickness and airsickness are highly dependent on the predominant frequency of a linear acceleration stimulus.