Biomaterial Database

Transfer of perceptual-motor training and the space adaptation syndrome. 1987

R S Kennedy, and K S Berbaum, and M C Williams, and J Brannan, and R B Welch

Essex Corporation, Orlando, FL 32803.

Perceptual cue conflict may be the basis for the symptoms which are experienced by space travelers in microgravity conditions. Recovery has been suggested to take place after perceptual modification or reinterpretation. To elucidate this process, 10 subjects who repeatedly experienced a visual/vestibular conflict (Purkinje) over trials and days, were then tested in a similar but not identical perceptual situation (pseudo-Coriolis) to determine whether any savings in perceptual adaptation had occurred as compared to an unpracticed control group (N = 10). The practiced subjects experienced lessening dizziness and ataxia within and over sessions. Their response to the new perceptual situation was markedly less than the control group (p less than 0.001). Assessment of "adaptability," in addition to the provocative vestibular tests now in use, may improve prediction of susceptibility to the space adaptation syndrome. An adaptability trait may exist in humans which, properly measured, could be used to predict who would adapt more readily to visual/vestibular conflict and perhaps to environmental stressors in general.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D009041	Motion Sickness	Disorder caused by motion. It includes sea sickness, train sickness, roller coaster rides, rocking chair, hammock swing, car sickness, air sickness, or SPACE MOTION SICKNESS. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting and/or dizziness.	Airsickness,Carsickness,Seasickness,Air Sickness,Car Sickness,Sea Sickness,Sickness, Air,Sickness, Car,Sickness, Motion,Sickness, Sea
D010469	Perceptual Distortion	Lack of correspondence between the way a stimulus is commonly perceived and the way an individual perceives it under given conditions.	Distortion, Perceptual,Distortions, Perceptual,Perceptual Distortions
D011597	Psychomotor Performance	The coordination of a sensory or ideational (cognitive) process and a motor activity.	Perceptual Motor Performance,Sensory Motor Performance,Visual Motor Coordination,Coordination, Visual Motor,Coordinations, Visual Motor,Motor Coordination, Visual,Motor Coordinations, Visual,Motor Performance, Perceptual,Motor Performance, Sensory,Motor Performances, Perceptual,Motor Performances, Sensory,Perceptual Motor Performances,Performance, Perceptual Motor,Performance, Psychomotor,Performance, Sensory Motor,Performances, Perceptual Motor,Performances, Psychomotor,Performances, Sensory Motor,Psychomotor Performances,Sensory Motor Performances,Visual Motor Coordinations
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000222	Adaptation, Physiological	The non-genetic biological changes of an organism in response to challenges in its ENVIRONMENT.	Adaptation, Physiologic,Adaptations, Physiologic,Adaptations, Physiological,Adaptive Plasticity,Phenotypic Plasticity,Physiological Adaptation,Physiologic Adaptation,Physiologic Adaptations,Physiological Adaptations,Plasticity, Adaptive,Plasticity, Phenotypic
D013026	Space Flight	Travel beyond the earth's atmosphere.	Space Exploration,Space Travel,Spaceflight,Exploration, Space,Explorations, Space,Flight, Space,Flights, Space,Space Explorations,Space Flights,Space Travels,Spaceflights,Travel, Space,Travels, Space
D013577	Syndrome	A characteristic symptom complex.	Symptom Cluster,Cluster, Symptom,Clusters, Symptom,Symptom Clusters,Syndromes
D014163	Transfer, Psychology	Change in learning in one situation due to prior learning in another situation. The transfer can be positive (with second learning improved by first) or negative (where the reverse holds).	Transfer (Psychology),Transfer of Learning,Transfer of Training,Learning Transfer,Psychology Transfer,Psychology Transfers,Training Transfer,Transfers (Psychology),Transfers, Psychology