A special sound may hold the key alleviating motion sickness in travellers.
Researchers from Japan’s Nagoya University have discovered that stimulating the inner ear with a specific wavelength of sound can reduce the debilitating condition.
Lead researcher Takumi Kagawa said “even a single minute” of stimulation with their sound technology reduced the staggering and discomfort felt by people that read in a moving vehicle.
“Our study demonstrated that short-term stimulation using a unique sound called ‘sound spice’ alleviates symptoms of motion sickness, such as nausea and dizziness,” Mr Kagawa said.
“The effective sound level falls within the range of everyday environmental noise exposure, suggesting that the sound technology is both effective and safe.”
He said the discovery was an important expansion of recent findings about sound and its effect on the inner ear.
Mr Kagawa said increasing evidence had suggested that stimulating the part of the inner ear associated with balance using a unique sound could potentially improve balance.
Fellow researcher Masashi Kato said using a mouse model and humans, they identified a unique sound at 100 Hz as being the optimal frequency.
“Vibrations at the unique sound stimulate the otolithic organs in the inner ear, which detect linear acceleration and gravity,” Mr Kato said.
“This suggests that a unique sound stimulation can broadly activate the vestibular system, which is responsible for maintaining balance and spatial orientation.”
He said to test the effectiveness of the devices, they recruited voluntary participants who were exposed to the unique sound.
“Following the stimulation, motion sickness was induced by a swing, a driving simulator, or riding in a car.
“Exposure to the unique sound before being exposed to the driving simulator enhanced sympathetic nerve activation (and) symptoms such as lightheadedness and nausea, which are often seen with motion sickness, were alleviated.”
Read the full study: Just 1-min exposure to a pure tone at 100 Hz with daily exposable sound pressure levels may improve motion sickness.
