Researchers from Imperial College London have come up with a new way of curing motion sickness that people are sure to get a “charge” out of: administering a mild electrical current to the scalp to dampen the parts of the brain that processes movement-related signals.
Writing in the journal Neurology, Dr. Qadeer Arshad and his colleagues explained that the root causes of seasickness and other forms of the condition called “kinetosis” remain unknown. One theory is that it has to do with confusing messages sent from the eyes and ears to the brain while a person is in motion, resulting in dizziness, nausea and other symptoms.
Motion sickness complaints are common, and nearly one-third of all people experience extreme symptoms, the researchers reported in a statement. Their new therapy, however, could provide a safe and effective way to treat the condition within the next decade or so, they added.
“We are confident that within five to ten years people will be able to walk into the chemist and buy an anti-seasickness device,” Dr. Arshad explained. “It may be something like a tens machine that is used for back pain. We hope it might even integrate with a mobile phone, which would be able to deliver the small amount of electricity required via the headphone jack.”
“We are really excited about the potential of this new treatment to provide an effective measure to prevent motion sickness with no apparent side effects. The benefits that we saw are very close to the effects we see with the best travel sickness medications available,” he added.
Current helps reduce risk of sickness, speeds recovery
According to United Press International (UPI), the Dr. Arshad’s team recruited volunteers and had them wear electrodes on their scalp for 10 minutes before being exposed to conditions likely to induce motion sickness through a motorized rotating chair. Not only were the participants less likely to get sick than they were without the electrodes, but they also recovered faster.
“The problem with treatments for motion sickness is that the effective ones are usually tablets that also make people drowsy,” explained co-author Professor Michael Gresty. “That’s all very good if you are on a short journey or a passenger, but what about if you work on a cruise ship and need to deal with motion sickness while continuing to work?”
“We are really excited about the potential of this new treatment to provide an effective measure to prevent motion sickness with no apparent side effects. The benefits that we saw are very close to the effects we see with the best travel sickness medications available,” he added.
Dr. Arshad, Professor Gresty and their colleagues are said to be in negotiations with potential industrial partners about developing the device, and they said that the military was particularly interested in the units for dealing with various aspects of their operations. Since the current used in the shock is so small, they are confident that there is little to no risk of harmful side effects.
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Pictured is a volunteer trying out the system. Image credit: Imperial College London
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