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We explored in 75 s long trials the effects of visually induced self-rotation and displacement (SR&D) on the horizontally extended right arm of standing subjects (N = 12). A "tool condition" was included in which subjects held a long rod. The extent of arm movement was contingent on whether the arm was extended out Freely or Pointing at a briefly proprioceptively specified target position. The results were nearly identical when subjects held the rod. Subjects in the Free conditions showed significant unintentional arm deviations, averaging 55° in the direction opposite the induced illusory self-motion. Deviations in the Pointing conditions were on average a fifth of those in the Free condition. Deviations of head and torso positions also occurred in all conditions. Total arm and head deviations were the sum of deviations of the arm and head with respect to the torso and deviations of the torso with respect to space. Pointing subjects were able to detect and correct for arm and head deviations with respect to the torso but not for the arm and head deviations with respect to space due to deviations of the torso. In all conditions, arm, head, and torso deviations began before subjects experienced SR&D. We relate our findings to being an extension of the manual following response (MFR) mechanism to influence passive arm control and arm target maintenance as well. Visual-vestibular convergence at vestibular nuclei cells and multiple cortical movement related areas can explain our results, MFR results, and classical Pass Pointing. We distinguish two Phases in the induction of SR&D. In Phase 1, the visual stimulation period prior to SR&D onset, the arm, head, and torso deviations are first apparent, circa < 1 s after stimulus begins. They are augmented at the onset of Phase 2 that starts when SR&D is first sensed. In Phase 2, reaching movements first show curved paths that are compensatory for the Coriolis forces that would be generated on the reaching arm were subjects actually physically rotating. These movement deviations are in the opposite direction to the MFR and the arm, head, and torso deviations reported here. Our results have implications for vehicle control in environments that can induce illusory self motion and displacement.

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Misperceptions of subjective visual vertical are associated with poor balance, increasing the risk of falls and accidents. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of nomophobia on verticality perception using subjective visual vertical (S.V.V.) test and cervical neuromotor control of the deep neck flexors (DNF) in adults aged 18-29 years old. This cross-sectional study employed convenience sampling and was conducted at a tertiary health institute over an eight-month period.After obtaining the written informed consent, 102 participants were asked to fill the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) and based on the responses participants were stratified into mild (n1 = 34), moderate(n2 = 34), and severe(n3 = 34) nomophobian group. Each nomophobian group underwent testing for verticality perception by using the SVV test and cervical neuromotor control. 102 healthy age and gender matched controls were recruited and underwent testing for verticality perception by using the SVV test and cervical neuromotor control. The mean age of the study participants was 22 ± 3.15 years with 35(33.98%) males and 67(65.04%) females. There was a statistically significant difference between the median scores across the three nomophobian groups with S.V.V. (p = 0.005), activation score (p = 0.012), and endurance score (p = 0.000) of the deep neck flexors in the severe nomophobia group. This study demonstrated that SVV and cervical neuromotor control was predominantly affected in the severe nomophobian group.

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Without visual references, nonpilots exposed to coordinated flight turns underestimate the bank angle, because of discordant information of the roll-angular displacement from the otoliths, consistently signaling vertical position, versus the semicircular canals, enabling detection of the displacement. Pilots may also use their ability to perceive the G load and knowledge of the relation between load and angle to assess the bank angle. Our aim was to investigate whether the perception of bank angle can be improved by spatial orientation training in a centrifuge. Sixteen pilots/pilot students assessed their roll tilt, in complete darkness, during both real coordinated flight turns and gondola centrifugation, at roll tilts of 30° and 60°. The experiments were repeated after a 3-wk period, during which eight of the subjects performed nine training sessions in the centrifuge, comprising feedback on roll angle vs. G load, and on indicating requested angles. Before training, the subjects perceived in the aircraft and centrifuge, respectively: 37 (17)°, 38 (14)° during 60° turns and 19 (12)°, 20 (10)° during 30° turns. Training improved the perception of angle during the 60° [to 60 (7)°, 55 (10)°; P ≤ 0.04] but not the 30° [21 (10)°, 15 (9)°; P ≥ 0.30] turns; the improvement disappeared within 2 yr after training. Angle assessments did not change in the untrained group. The results suggest that it is possible to, in a centrifuge, train a pilot's ability to perceive large but not discrete-to-moderate roll-angular displacements. The transient training effect is attributable to improved capacity to perceive and translate G load into roll angle and/or to increased reliance on semicircular canal signals.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Spatial disorientation is a major problem in aviation. When performing coordinated flight turns without external visual cues (e.g., flying in clouds or darkness), the pilot underestimates the aircraft bank angle because the vestibular system provides unreliable information of roll tilt. The present study demonstrates that it is possible to, in a long-arm centrifuge, train a pilot's ability to perceive large but not discrete-to-moderate roll-angular displacements.

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BACKGROUND: Flight accidents caused by spatial disorientation (SD) greatly affect flight safety. OBJECTIVE: Few studies have been devoted to the evaluation of SD. METHODS: 10 pilots and 10 non-pilots were recruited for the experimental induction of SD. Videos for giving optical flow stimuli were played at two different flow speeds to induce SD. Subjective judgment and center of foot pressure (CoP) data were collected from the tests. The data were combined to determine the occurrence of SD and analyze the SD types. RESULTS: The number of self-reported SD events was slightly smaller in the pilots than in the non-pilots. The average upper bound of the confidence interval for the standard deviation of CoP was 0.32 ± 0.09 cm and 0.38 ± 0.12 cm in the pilots and non-pilots, respectively. This indicator was significantly lower in the pilots than in the non-pilots (P= 0.03). The success rate of the experimental induction of unrecognized SD was 26.7% and 45.0% in the pilots and non-pilots, respectively. CONCLUSION: The method offered a new to analyze unrecognized SD. We could determine the occurrence unrecognized SD. This is an essential means of reducing flight accidents caused by unrecognized SD.

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OBJECTIVE: We examined whether active head aiming with a Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) can draw the pilot's attention away from a primary flight task. Furthermore, we examined whether visual clutter increases this effect. BACKGROUND: Head up display symbology can result in attentional tunneling, and clutter makes it difficult to identify objects. METHOD: Eighteen military pilots had to simultaneously perform an attitude control task while flying in clouds and a head aiming task in a fixed-base flight simulator. The former consisted of manual compensation for roll disturbances of the aircraft, while the latter consisted of keeping a moving visual target inside a small or large head-referenced circle. A "no head aiming" condition served as a baseline. Furthermore, all conditions were performed with or without visual clutter. RESULTS: Head aiming led to deterioration of the attitude control task performance and an increase of the amount of roll-reversal errors (RREs). This was even the case when head aiming required minimal effort. Head aiming accuracy was significantly lower when the roll disturbances in the attitude control task were large compared to when they were small. Visual clutter had no effect on both tasks. CONCLUSION: We suggest that active head aiming of HMD symbology can cause attentional tunneling, as expressed by an increased number of RREs and less accuracy on a simultaneously performed attitude control task. APPLICATION: This study improves our understanding in the perceptual and cognitive effects of (military) HMDs, and has implications for operational use and possibly (re)design of HMDs.

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Predicting the time course of motion sickness symptoms enables the evaluation of provocative stimuli and the development of countermeasures for reducing symptom severity. In pursuit of this goal, we present an Observer-driven model of motion sickness for passive motions in the dark. Constructed in two stages, this model predicts motion sickness symptoms by bridging sensory conflict (i.e., differences between actual and expected sensory signals) arising from the Observer model of spatial orientation perception (stage 1) to Oman's model of motion sickness symptom dynamics (stage 2; presented in 1982 and 1990) through a proposed "Normalized Innovation Squared" statistic. The model outputs the expected temporal development of human motion sickness symptom magnitudes (mapped to the Misery Scale) at a population level, due to arbitrary, 6-degree-of-freedom, self-motion stimuli. We trained model parameters using individual subject responses collected during fore-aft translations and off-vertical axis of rotation motions. Improving on prior efforts, we only used datasets with experimental conditions congruent with the perceptual stage (i.e., adequately provided passive motions without visual cues) to inform the model. We assessed model performance by predicting an unseen validation dataset, producing a Q2 value of 0.91. Demonstrating this model's broad applicability, we formulate predictions for a host of stimuli, including translations, earth-vertical rotations, and altered gravity, and we provide our implementation for other users. Finally, to guide future research efforts, we suggest how to rigorously advance this model (e.g., incorporating visual cues, active motion, responses to motion of different frequency, etc.).

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(1) Background: Spatial cognition (SC) is one of the earliest cognitive domains to be impaired in the course of Alzheimer's disease (AD), resulting in spatial disorientation and becoming lost even in familiar surroundings as later dementia symptoms. To date, few studies have identified initial alterations of spatial navigation (SN) in the premorbid AD phase by real-world paradigms, and none have adopted an innovative technological apparatus to better detect gait alterations as well as physiological aspects correlated to spatial disorientation (SD). The present study aimed at exploring initial SN defects in patients with prodromal AD via a naturalistic task by using a sensory garment. (2) Methods: 20 community-dwelling patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) due to AD and 20 age/education controls were assessed on their sequential egocentric and allocentric navigation abilities by using a modified version of the Detour Navigation Test (DNT-mv). (3) Results: When compared to controls, patients with MCI due to AD exhibited higher wrong turns (WT) and moments of hesitation (MsH) in the DNT-mv, reflecting difficulties both in sequential egocentric and allocentric navigation, depending on hippocampal deterioration. Moreover, they reported more complaints about their SN competencies and lower long-term visuospatial memory abilities than controls. Remarkably, WTs and MsH manifested in the allocentric naturalistic task of the DNT-mv were associated with autonomic nervous system alteration pertaining to cardiac functioning in the whole sample. (4) Conclusions: Naturalistic navigation tests of hippocampal function using a continuous non-invasive monitoring device can provide early markers of spatial disorientation in patients with MCI due to AD. Future studies should develop cognitive remediation techniques able to enhance SC residual abilities in patients at high risk of conversion into dementia and ecological paradigms to be replicated on a large scale.

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Background: Spatial disorientation in patients with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease (MCI due to AD) has become a subject of great interest. Medical practitioners are concerned about the serious issue of these patients who are getting lost. Therefore, the early detection of MCI due to AD is crucial. New methods: We designed virtual reality (VR) protocols to test spatial recognition abilities. Our devices mainly included the Vive Pro Eye and the Steam VR program. We tested the three groups: young cognitively unimpaired (YCU), older cognitively unimpaired (OCU) and MCI due to AD. We also administered the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument and the Questionnaire on Everyday Navigational Ability for comparison. Results: We adopted the testing results of 2 YCU, 3 OCU, and 4 MCI due to AD for analysis. Concerning cognitive abilities, YCU and OCU had better performance than MCI due to AD respectively. It was consistent with the recent memory and the total scores of the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument. Comparison with existing methods: We introduced a real-life setting, the Tzu-Chiang campus at National Cheng Kung University, into the VR environment. It allowed us to assess daily road-recognizing abilities of participants in a controlled testing environment. Conclusions: Several limitations were considered in this study, such as limited number of participants and low-quality images on the screen. Nonetheless, this device has the potential to serve as a screening tool for MCI due to AD based on its feasibility and practicality.

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During coordinated flight and centrifugation, pilots show interindividual variability in perceived roll tilt. The study explored how this variability is related to perceptual and cognitive functions. Twelve pilots underwent three 6-min centrifugations on two occasions (G levels: 1.1G, 1.8G, and 2.5G; gondola tilts: 25°, 56°, and 66°). The subjective visual horizontal (SVH) was measured with an adjustable luminous line and the pilots gave estimates of experienced G level. Afterward, they were interrogated regarding the relationship between G level and roll tilt and adjusted the line to numerically mentioned angles. Generally, the roll tilt during centrifugation was underestimated, and there was a large interindividual variability. Both knowledge on the relationship between G level and bank angle, and ability to adjust the line according to given angles contributed to the prediction of SVH in a multiple regression model. However, in most cases, SVH was substantial smaller than predictions based on specific abilities.

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Objective: Vestibular provocation is one of the main causes of flight illusions, and its occurrence is closely related to the susceptibility of motion sickness (MS). However, existing training programs have limited effect in improving the resistance to motion sickness. In this study, we investigated the effects of hypoxia acclimatization training (HAT) on the resistance to motion sickness. Methods: Healthy military college students were identified as subjects according to the criteria. MS model was induced by a rotary chair. Experimental groups included control, HAT, 3D roller training (3DRT), and combined training. Results: The Graybiel scores were decreased in the HAT group and the 3DRT group and further decreased in the combined training group in MS induced by the rotary chair. Participants had a significant increase in blood pressure after the rotary chair test and a significant increase in the heart rate during the rotary chair test, but these changes disappeared in all three training groups. Additionally, LFn was increased, HFn was decreased, and LF/HF was increased accordingly during the rotary chair test in the control group, but the changes of these three parameters were completely opposite in the three training groups during the rotary chair test. Compared with the control group, the decreasing changes in pupillary contraction velocity (PCV) and pupillary minimum diameter (PMD) of the three training groups were smaller. In particular, the binocular PCV changes were further attenuated in the combined training group. Conclusion: Our research provides a possible candidate solution for training military pilots in the resistance to motion sickness.

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Spaceflight can make astronauts susceptible to spatial disorientation which is one of the leading causes of fatal aircraft accidents. In our experiment, blindfolded participants used a joystick to balance themselves while inside a multi-axis rotation device (MARS) in either the vertical or horizontal roll plane. On Day 1, in the vertical roll plane (Earth analog condition) participants could use gravitational cues and therefore had a good sense of their orientation. On Day 2, in the horizontal roll plane (spaceflight analog condition) participants could not use gravitational cues and rapidly became disoriented and showed minimal learning and poor performance. One potential countermeasure for spatial disorientation is vibrotactile feedback that conveys body orientation provided by small vibrating devices applied to the skin. Orientation-dependent vibrotactile feedback provided to one group enhanced performance in the spaceflight condition but the participants reported a conflict between the accurate vibrotactile cues and their erroneous perception of their orientation. Specialized vibrotactile training on Day 1 provided to another group resulted in significantly better learning and performance in the spaceflight analog task with vibrotactile cueing. In this training, participants in the Earth analog condition on Day 1 were required to disengage from the task of aligning with the gravitational vertical encoded by natural vestibular/somatosensory afference and had to align with randomized non-vertical directions of balance signaled by vibrotactile feedback. At the end of Day 2, we deactivated the vibrotactile feedback after both vibration-cued groups had practiced with it in the spaceflight analog condition. They performed as well as the group who did not have any vibrotactile feedback. We conclude that after appropriate training, vibrotactile orientation feedback augments dynamic spatial orientation and does not lead to any negative dependence.

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Transportation-related harms have developed into a social disease, threatening public safety and health in China. We aimed to increase the global understanding of traffic safety and public health in China from past knowledge, current status, and future directions by collecting, collating, and analyzing the Chinese traffic incidents reported in the published literature. A systematic search of China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Weipu, and published articles referenced in PubMed, Web of Science and ProQuest between January 1, 1988 and April 30, 2023 was performed. China encountered the first recorded traffic accident as early as three thousand years ago in the Shang Dynasty. An increase in vehicle capacity and velocity increased the traffic risks during the transition from rickshaws and livestock to motor vehicles in varying traffic environments. Humans are not only the decisive factor of a large number of vehicles, traffic routes, and environmental variables, but also the victims at the end and starting point of traffic accidents. Injuries (mechanical force, burns) and diseases (traffic-related air pollution, noise) caused by traffic activities not only threaten public health, but also cause risks to safe driving. Analysis of traffic activities and biomarkers promotes the treatment of traffic injuries in ethology and medicine. China prepared for the construction of healthy transportation in the "decade of road safety" toward an estimation of worldwide road traffic injuries in 2030. Improvement of traffic safety concerning public health under the "Outline of the National Comprehensive Three-dimensional Transportation Network Planning" in China will propel the realization of worldwide traffic environmental advancement.

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Predicting the time course of motion sickness symptoms enables the evaluation of provocative stimuli and the development of countermeasures for reducing symptom severity. In pursuit of this goal, we present an observer-driven model of motion sickness for passive motions in the dark. Constructed in two stages, this model predicts motion sickness symptoms by bridging sensory conflict (i.e., differences between actual and expected sensory signals) arising from the observer model of spatial orientation perception (stage 1) to Oman's model of motion sickness symptom dynamics (stage 2; presented in 1982 and 1990) through a proposed "Normalized innovation squared" statistic. The model outputs the expected temporal development of human motion sickness symptom magnitudes (mapped to the Misery Scale) at a population level, due to arbitrary, 6-degree-of-freedom, self-motion stimuli. We trained model parameters using individual subject responses collected during fore-aft translations and off-vertical axis of rotation motions. Improving on prior efforts, we only used datasets with experimental conditions congruent with the perceptual stage (i.e., adequately provided passive motions without visual cues) to inform the model. We assessed model performance by predicting an unseen validation dataset, producing a Q2 value of 0.86. Demonstrating this model's broad applicability, we formulate predictions for a host of stimuli, including translations, earth-vertical rotations, and altered gravity, and we provide our implementation for other users. Finally, to guide future research efforts, we suggest how to rigorously advance this model (e.g., incorporating visual cues, active motion, responses to motion of different frequency, etc.).

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In their twilight years, spatial disorientation can cause significant challenges for older adults, leading them to become perpetually disoriented or rely more on environmental cues and others for navigation. Unfortunately, wayfinding within senior living facilities is often an afterthought for senior living facility planners. This study explores the lived experiences of older adults coping with spatial disorientation and wayfinding in senior living facilities and the consequential impact on their physical, social, and psychosocial well-being. Data were collected from 28 older adults in six senior living facilities within three urban locations. The study used one-on-one, semi-structured, in-depth interviews and the Modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen analysis method guided by Moustakas' transcendental phenomenology. Five primary themes emerged: spatial disorientation, wayfinding, self-evident stimuli, visual cues and constancies, and digital wayfinding decision junctions. Through a "looking out from the inside" approach, the findings have valuable implications for academics, senior-friendly environments, government policymakers, hospitality and healthcare industries.

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BACKGROUND: Comorbid Balance, Anxiety, and Spatial symptoms are observed in neurodevelopmental disorders and aging. Each of these symptoms was studied separately in association with vestibular hypofunction. We aimed to investigate whether such a diffuse range of symptoms has common vestibular pathophysiology. Specifically, we tested whether this Triad of dysfunctions is associated with central or peripheral vestibular hypofunction. We also assessed the possible contribution of semicircular canals (SCCs) vs. saccular function. METHODS: We tested patients with Peripheral bilateral and unilateral Vestibular Hypofunction (PVH), Machado Joseph Disease (MJD) with cerebellar and central bilateral vestibular hypofunction, and healthy controls. SCCs and sacculi functioning were evaluated by the video Head Impulse Test (vHIT) and cervical Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (cVEMP), respectively. Balance was assessed by the Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale (ABC), anxiety by the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and spatial orientation by the Object Perspective Taking test (OPT-t). RESULTS: PVH patients with vestibular SCCs and saccular hypofunction presented the Triad of symptoms, imbalance, anxiety, and spatial disorientation. MJD patients with SCCs-related vestibular hypofunction but preserved saccular-related vestibular function presented with a partial profile of imbalance and spatial disorientation. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides evidence that peripheral vestibular hypofunction is associated with the Triad of dysfunctions, i.e., imbalance, anxiety, and spatial disorientation. The combination of SCCs and saccular hypofunction seems to contribute to the emergence of the Triad of symptoms.

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The black hole illusion (BHI) is a subtype of spatial disorientation that can result in fatal consequences in aviation. Research on the BHI has generally focused on altitude deviation, and few studies have examined the effect across different flight phases. In a simulation-based experiment, 18 participants performed 12 simulated approach and landing tasks in normal and BHI environments. Flight performance was analyzed with 14 flight parameters and was compared across five points and three phases, which were referenced from a National Transportation Safety Board report and other previous studies. Results showed that multiple flight parameters were significantly impaired and that their influences varied from the initial approach to the final touchdown. In the BHI environment, participants tended to descend aggressively during the approach phase and flew a lower but similar glidepath during the last approach phase. They might have realized the abnormal situation induced by the BHI but usually were unable to recover from the dangerous maneuver in time. Additionally, the result of glide path error, one of the most commonly used variables in previous BHI research, was only significant during the last approach phase. Flight stability was also impaired in the BHI environment. This is the first study to systematically analyze the BHI effects on multiple flight parameters at different flight phases. The use of this experimental paradigm could facilitate future research to evaluate and prevent the BHI in a more comprehensive way.

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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with hippocampal neuropathology and cognitive impairments, including wandering behavior or becoming lost in a familiar environment. Wandering behavior is severe and manifests early in life for people with specific genetic mutations. Genetic mouse models of AD have been developed to characterize the onset and progression of behavioral deficits that represent human behaviors, such as wandering, to test the efficacy of therapeutics. It is not clear if current assessments of mouse models capture the onset of AD or a snapshot of its progression. Sequential analysis of open field behavior provides a robust, quick test to dissociate navigation cues that contribute to spatial disorientation, a feature of wandering. Despite potential utility in evaluating this feature of AD, little work has been reported using animal models of dementia in this task. Thus, we examined the use of different sources of information to maintain spatial orientation at two prodromal ages in female transgenic CRND8 AD (n = 17) and Control mice (n = 16). These mice exhibit amyloid plaques, a hallmark neuropathological feature of AD, that are associated with cognitive dysfunction at ∼three months of age. Spatial disorientation was observed at two months and more severely at four months under dark conditions, but performance was spared when visual environmental cues were available. This study provides documentation of impaired self-movement cue processing in AD mice, establishing the dark open field as a behavioral tool to characterize spatial disorientation associated with AD. These findings may accelerate future assessments of novel therapeutic interventions for neurological disorders.

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Leans is a common type of Spatial Disorientation (SD) illusion that causes pilots to be confused about the position of the aircraft during a flight. This illusion could lead to serious adverse effects and even flight mishaps. Therefore, an effective means to deal with leans is crucial for flight safety. This study aims to investigate the effects of Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) technology with different waveforms as a tool to mitigate the negative effects of leans. 20 Air Force pilots participated in leans-induced flight simulation experiment with three GVS conditions (without-GVS, step-GVS, ramped-GVS). Bank angle error, subjective SD, perceived strength, and annoyance were measured as the dependent variables. Analysis revealed that step-GVS and ramped-GVS yielded lower bank angle errors and subjective SD than without-GVS. In addition, annoyance ratings were lower for ramped-GVS than step-GVS. This study suggests that GVS has the potential to be utilised as a counteracting tool to cope with leans.Practitioner summary: Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) can be utilised as a tool to counteract the detrimental effects of leans illusion, specifically the ramped style GVS, considering that it is less annoying and distracting for the pilots. In general, GVS induces a roll sensation that can offset the false sensation caused by the leans, which can potentially help maintain flight safety and avoid spatial disorientation-related accidents.Abbreviations: SD: spatial disorientation; GVS: galvanic vestibular stimulation; MSSQ: motion sickness susceptibility questionniare; SSQ: simulator sickness questionnaire; BLE: bluetooth low energy; PCB: printed circuit board; RPM: revolution per minute.

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Spatial anxiety (i.e., feelings of apprehension and fear about navigating everyday environments) can adversely impact people's ability to reach desired locations and explore unfamiliar places. Prior research has either assessed spatial anxiety as an individual-difference variable or measured it as an outcome, but there are currently no experimental inductions to investigate its causal effects. To address this lacuna, we developed a novel protocol for inducing spatial anxiety within a virtual environment. Participants first learnt a route using directional arrows. Next, we removed the directional arrows and randomly assigned participants to navigate either the same route (n = 22; control condition) or a variation of this route in which we surreptitiously introduced unfamiliar paths and landmarks (n = 22; spatial-anxiety condition). The manipulation successfully induced transient (i.e., state-level) spatial anxiety and task stress but did not significantly reduce task enjoyment. Our findings lay the foundation for an experimental paradigm that will facilitate future work on the causal effects of spatial anxiety in navigational contexts. The experimental task is freely available via the Open Science Framework ( https://osf.io/uq4v7/ ).

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BACKGROUND: During a simulated coordinated turn in a gondola centrifuge, experienced pilots show a substantial inter-individual variability in visual measures of perceived roll tilt. Because of the centrifuge's small radius, the pattern of stimuli to the semicircular canals during acceleration of the centrifuge differs in certain respects from that of an aircraft entering a turn. OBJECTIVE: To explore whether these differences may be of significance for the pilot's roll- plane orientation and whether individual characteristics revealed in the centrifuge correspond to those during real flight. METHOD: 8 fixed-wing air-force pilots were tested in a centrifuge and a high-performance aircraft. The centrifuge was accelerated to 2 G (gondola inclination 60°) within 10 s. The duration at 2 G was 6 minutes. Similar profiles were created in the aircraft. The subjective visual horizontal (SVH) was measured using an adjustable luminous line in darkness. Each pilot was tested on three occasions: centrifuge (2 runs), aircraft (2 turns), centrifuge (2 runs). For each 2-G exposure, initial and final SVH values were established via curve fitting. RESULT: Despite a large inter-individual variability (±SD), group means were similar in the aircraft (initial: 43.0±20.6°; final: 22.5±14.8°) and centrifuge (initial: 40.6±17.0°; final: 20.5±16.0°). Further, individual peculiarities in response patterns were similar in the two conditions. For both the initial and final SVH tilt there was a high correlation between centrifuge and aircraft. CONCLUSION: The correspondence between conditions suggests that the centrifuge is an adequate means for demonstrating the fundamental motion pattern of coordinated flight and also for establishing the individual pilot's ability to perceive an aircraft's roll attitude.Findings are discussed in connection with vestibular learning and the possibility of underlying differences between pilots in the keenness for semicircular canal and somatosensory cues.

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