Correlation between anxiety and chronic motion sensitivity

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Chronic motion sensitivity (CMS) is a combination of autonomic symptoms provoked by exposure to motion. The correlation between anxiety and CMS is not yet well understood. OBJECTIVES: 1) To compare median anxiety levels between young adults with and without CMS. 2) To examine the effect of anxiety on postural stability with immersion virtual reality. 3) To compare anxiety levels between sexes. METHODS: Participants included 60 adults (20–40 years), with and without CMS. After determining their current and general anxiety levels, postural stability was measured. RESULTS: There were significant differences in median (minimum, maximum) state- and trait-anxiety scores between participants with and without CMS, but no significant differences in median state- and trait-anxiety scores between males and females with CMS. There was a significant inverse relationship between state- and trait-anxiety scores and postural stability (ρ= –0.28, p = 0.03, and ρ= –0.32, p = 0.01, respectively). The stepwise regression analysis showed the Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire-Short Form score to be the only variable contributing significantly to postural stability (R2  = 26.2%; t = –4.5, p <  0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Young adults with CMS are more anxious, although anxiety does not contribute to postural stability in this group. Anxiety levels do not appear to differ between young adult males and females with CMS.