Evaluation of the effects of vestibular stimulation on cognitive performance

Abstract: Spatial disorientation (SD) has been cited as the leading cause of 33% of all aircraft’s incidents with a fatality rate of almost 100% (Gibb, Ercoline, & Scharff, 2011). In spite of these figures, data from 1947 to 2010 presented by the Aerospace Medical Association indicated that SD’s roles in mishaps over the years are consistent and rates are not declining. Thus, research and training are paramount factors to improve awareness and reduce the probability of SD-related accidents. The failure in recognizing the multisensory aspect of SD is seen by the US Naval Aviation Safety Office as a leading cause of aircraft mishaps from 1990 to 2008. This study examined the effects of vestibular stimulation on cognitive processing. Twenty-four subjects performed spatial and verbal cognitive tasks in a Bárány Chair. Participants had higher throughput scores in spatial tasks than in verbal tasks. No significant difference was observed during acceleration or deceleration phases in both tasks.