A cholinomimetic model of motion sickness and space adaptation syndrome.

Abstract

The space adaptation syndrome is one of the more vexing problems confronted by our nation's astronauts during their journeys. This syndrome may be a variant of motion sickness, although this possibility has been questioned. Physostigmine, a centrally active cholinesterase inhibitor which increases brain acetylcholine, was found to cause a motion sickness-like syndrome--in psychiatric patients and normals--including nausea, emesis, malaise, dysphoria, increases in serum ACTH, beta-endorphin, cortisol, and prolactin, Neostigmine, a non-centrally acting cholinesterase inhibitor, and saline placebo caused no such effects. The above effects closely parallel those of motion sickness. Thus, the effects of physostigmine may be a convenient model for screening for treatments for motion sickness or space adaptation syndrome, or for predicting who will develop these syndromes.

• Authors: D S Janowsky, S C Risch, M Ziegler, B Kennedy, L Huey
• Journal: Aviation, space, and environmental medicine (Aviat Space Environ Med) Vol. 55 Issue 8 Pg. 692-6 (Aug 1984) ISSN: 0095-6562 [Print] United States
• PMID: 6487203 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S., Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Catecholamines
• Hormones
• Physostigmine

Topics

• Adaptation, Physiological (drug effects)
• Adolescent
• Adult
• Behavior (drug effects)
• Blood Pressure (drug effects)
• Catecholamines (blood)
• Hormones (blood)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Motion Sickness (chemically induced)
• Nausea (chemically induced)
• Physostigmine (pharmacology)
• Pulse (drug effects)
• Space Flight
• Syndrome