Are you part of the one-in-three-people demographic that suffers from motion sickness while traveling on a boat or in a plane?
If you are, and if you are tired of taking tablets that cause drowsiness, a mobile app may be surfacing in the next five to ten years that could allow you to travel free of nausea. A small quantity of electricity delivered to the brain through a headphone jack may be enough to do the trick.
During travel, some peoples’ ears and eyes send confusing signals to the brain, causing symptoms such as cold sweats and dizziness. A modest electrical current could function as a reset button for the brain’s motion sensors, according to an article on AOL.
Uneasiness during car rides is a common problem for those who travel by road. Scientists say that this minor zap to one’s brain would cause one’s head to experience a tiny tingling sensation that would alleviate such troubles.
A lead researcher from Imperial College London, Qadeer Arshad, explained in a piece by The Economic Times, “You would temporarily attach small electrodes to your scalp before travelling – on a cross channel ferry, for example.” Arshad went on to explain that within ten years, an anti-seasickness device will be available for purchase from chemists.
You would temporarily attach small electrodes to your scalp before travelling – on a cross channel ferry, for example.
A study had been conducted by putting people in potentially nauseating scenarios. A motorized rotating chair tilted and tossed them around in a fashion similar to roller coasters. Those who wore electrodes on their heads for ten minutes recovered faster and felt less nauseous during the experience.
Other academicians in the field of brain stimulation cautioned the public to approach the findings of this preliminary research with a healthy dose of sketicism. Said Professor Chris Chambers of Cardiff University, “It would be irresponsible to conclude that this study provides anything more than very early evidence of a potential benefit.”
