Investigating the effect of the balance rehabilitation program on vestibulo-ocular reflex of military pilot students

In challenging maneuvers with fighter aircrafts, the sensory stimuli are variable in terms of size, direction, and frequency; so there is always the possibility of some kind of sensory mismatch between these elements or between them with the central pattern of balance, which can lead to an illusion in understanding the situation. This condition is called spatial disorientation or airsickness. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of balance rehabilitation program on vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) of military pilot students suffering from spatial disorientation.

Totally, 10 pilot students who suffered from airsickness were subjected to otological and neurological examinations. Pre-tests were conducted to check the health of the vestibular system including audiometry, tympanometry, and videonystagmography. Then rehabilitation exercises were performed in three stages, including exercises to improve oculomotor skills, improve VOR, and desensitization using a rotary chair at frequencies of 0.11, 0.25, and 0.50 Hz. Two weeks after the intervention, the students were evaluated by MISC questionnaire and Coriolis stress test.

VOR gain increased significantly after rehabilitation interventions (p=0.005). Also, the results of the MISC questionnaire showed a significant improvement in the scores (p=0.005). This means that the VOR gain had increased significantly after two weeks of treatment.

The use of a rotary chair for the purpose of evaluating, predicting, and treating airsickness is very helpful and it is suggested to be used routinely in the air force.