Observations on Human Subjects Living in a "Slow Rotation Room" for Periods of Two Days

Abstract

This report describes a new stressful procedure and the constellation of symptoms manifested by persons subjected to this stress. The procedure consists essentially of carrying out activities in a slowly rotating room. The symptoms most nearly resemble those observed in motion sickness,^4,15,22but certain similarities are also seen when comparison is made with the symptomatology in vasodepressor states,^5,21in anxiety and depressive states, in sleep, and, indeed, in various disturbances characterized by psychosomatic symptoms.²⁰Inasmuch as the symptoms are the direct or indirect result of stimulation of the semicircular canals, the most precise term covering the general symptomatology is probably "canal sickness."⁸Although the procedure is specifically applicable to studies of the function of the semicircular canals, it has additional usefulness as a means of investigating certain aspects of the brain stem-activating system.^{3,6,10,11,14,17}The extraordinary flexibility of the procedure in terms of both the strength