Air, sea soreness, or endless nausea as soon as you get by car? This disorder, called cinetosis, can be handicapping. If many solutions exist to remedy it, ranging from drugs to anti -nailed bracelets, their effectiveness is not always guaranteed. According to the New Atlas online media, the problem has not escaped a research team from the University of Nagoya in Japan which offers an unprecedented solution.
Transport evil occurs when the information perceived by the inner ear does not agree with those seen or felt by the rest of the body. This leads to symptoms like dizziness, a feeling of fatigue and vomiting. To try to alleviate these unpleasant effects, the researchers were interested in the power of sounds.
Japanese scientists have tested different frequencies on mouse uricles, a cavity of the inner ear linked to the maintenance of balance. Certain tones would have the effect of “rebalancing” the patient, in particular a sound of 100 hertz broadcast at 65.9 DBA (or weighted decibels A, a unit which reflects the way in which the human ear perceives the sounds). The latter was baptized “Sound Spice“Or” sound spice “.
The mice were divided into two groups: one presentation five minutes at this sound, and the other not. Those who had the chance to listen to this low -frequency tone better resisted the movements responsible for the evil of transport, by succeeding in walking longer on a narrow beam. The effect of this small audio-therapy session lasted more than two hours.
An effective sound also in humans
Published in the Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine newspaper, the study shows equally promising results in humans. One minute of listening would be enough to reduce the effects of transport evil. The people tested tolerate a prolonged movement better in various conditions, as on a swing or during a simulated or real driving. Physiological analyzes confirm a clear improvement compared to an unpresentation group.
Takumi Kagawa, scientist who participated in the study, reassures: “The effective sound level is in the beach of the exposure to daily ambient sounds, suggesting that sound technology is both effective and safe.”
The “sound spice” could therefore soon transform our journeys by becoming a gentle and effective alternative to drugs. This study opens the way to new research on the therapeutic use of sound in maintaining balance.
