{"id":7905,"date":"2020-09-15T17:44:11","date_gmt":"2020-09-15T17:44:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=7905"},"modified":"2021-08-10T11:42:03","modified_gmt":"2021-08-10T11:42:03","slug":"on-the-long-road-to-recovery-motion-sickness-and-tbi","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/vision-therapy\/neuro-optometry\/vestibular-dysfunction\/on-the-long-road-to-recovery-motion-sickness-and-tbi\/","title":{"rendered":"On the Long Road to Recovery: Motion Sickness and TBI"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Author: <\/b>Dr. Aaron Nichols<\/p>\n<p>Excel Neuro-Optometric Clinic<\/p>\n<h2><b>Do you experience motion sickness while driving a car or motorcycle, or riding as a passenger?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Motion sickness is a common problem experienced after a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/a-guide-to-eye-turns\/hidden-visual-problems-stemming-from-a-concussion-or-traumatic-brain-injury\/\">traumatic brain injury<\/a> (TBI) and can be felt during various activities that require you to shift focus from close to far objects.<\/p>\n<p>Everyday activities that may cause motion sickness include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Driving<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Riding as a passenger<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reading in the car, train, or bus<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>What causes motion-sickness?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>The balance mechanism in our brain is built on three\u00a0 systems:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vision<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vestibular (balance)<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Somatosensory (proprioceptive, touch feedback)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>With specific regards to the visual system, our brain processes vision through two pathways:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parvocellular &#8211; central \u201cfocal\u201d vision, or visual acuity<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Magnocellular &#8211; ambient vision, or peripheral side vision.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In particular, the magnocellular system communicates neurologically with the vestibular system telling us \u201cwhere\u201d we are in space, which is necessary to keep us balanced while walking or moving, and even driving.<\/p>\n<p><b>The magnocellular system is sensitive to motion, and following a brain injury, or a concussion, our magnocellular pathway is often affected.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>When this happens, our threshold is lowered and our sensitivity to processing our side vision, particularly motion, becomes higher.<\/p>\n<p><b>When this part of the visual system is damaged, the patient can feel <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/neuro-optometry\/vision-dizziness-and-imbalance\/\">out of balance<\/a> with their surroundings.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>A term for this is \u201cfocal binding\u201d, where the patient has trouble with their magnocellular pathway (peripheral) and uses more of their parvocellular pathway (focal). This mismatch can cause difficulty with walking, driving, and even just moving their head.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you suspect you have motion sickness, <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1627026498605000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH7JZgx3qF6ND1e55h3bW-66QSrSQ\">contact an eye doctor<\/a>\u00a0near you, who can diagnose and treat the condition.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>SEE RELATED:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/vision-therapy\/neuro-optometry\/vestibular-dysfunction\/menieres-disease\/\">Meniere\u2019s Disease<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t<div class=\"practice-search-widget\">\n\t\t<h3>Find a Vision Therapy Eye Doctor Near You<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t<form class=\"practice-search-form practice-search-form-widget\" action=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/results\/\" method=\"get\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"page\" class=\"practice-search-page\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_latitude\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_longitude\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"address\" class=\"practice-search-address\" placeholder=\"City, Surburb or Address\" value=\"\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<button type=\"submit\" class=\"practice-search-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M10.6796 0.130005C9.15708 0.130059 7.66615 0.5646 6.38198 1.38258C5.09781 2.20057 4.07373 3.36803 3.43004 4.74783C2.78634 6.12763 2.54976 7.66246 2.74808 9.17205C2.9464 10.6816 3.57139 12.1033 4.54964 13.27L0.729639 17.08C0.6364 17.1732 0.562439 17.2839 0.511979 17.4058C0.461519 17.5276 0.435547 17.6581 0.435547 17.79C0.435547 17.9219 0.461519 18.0524 0.511979 18.1743C0.562439 18.2961 0.6364 18.4068 0.729639 18.5C0.917942 18.6883 1.17334 18.7941 1.43964 18.7941C1.5715 18.7941 1.70207 18.7681 1.82389 18.7177C1.94571 18.6672 2.0564 18.5932 2.14964 18.5L5.99964 14.62C7.35406 15.6038 8.98566 16.1324 10.6596 16.13C12.7814 16.13 14.8162 15.2871 16.3165 13.7869C17.8168 12.2866 18.6596 10.2517 18.6596 8.13C18.6596 6.00827 17.8168 3.97344 16.3165 2.47315C14.8162 0.97286 12.7814 0.130005 10.6596 0.130005H10.6796ZM10.6796 14.13C9.49295 14.13 8.33291 13.7781 7.34622 13.1188C6.35952 12.4595 5.59049 11.5225 5.13636 10.4261C4.68224 9.32975 4.56342 8.12335 4.79493 6.95946C5.02644 5.79558 5.59788 4.72648 6.437 3.88736C7.27611 3.04825 8.34521 2.4768 9.5091 2.24529C10.673 2.01378 11.8794 2.1326 12.9757 2.58673C14.0721 3.04085 15.0092 3.80989 15.6685 4.79658C16.3277 5.78328 16.6796 6.94332 16.6796 8.13C16.6796 9.7213 16.0475 11.2474 14.9223 12.3726C13.7971 13.4979 12.2709 14.13 10.6796 14.13Z\" fill=\"#fff\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"practice-search-use-my-location\">\n\t\t\tSearch near me\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\n\t<\/form>\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<h2>Vision therapy for motion sickness<\/h2>\n<p>Often, patients may receive one form of therapy, such as vestibular therapy, and then hit a plateau, where their improvement does not seem to be increasing. This may be because their visual system is not functioning properly, and creating a barrier for other professionals to fully rehabilitate the patient.<\/p>\n<p>Given that the systems work together in the brain, it is important to determine the etiology of the symptoms, in order to properly create a therapy program or proper referral.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In order to fully understand how your visual system is functioning, a comprehensive binocular vision assessment should be completed by an optometrist who is trained in neuro-optometric rehabilitation or optometric vision therapy.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Optometrists with specific post-graduate training in this field are able to assess the patient\u2019s complaints, and determine if the problem is visual, vestibular, or a combination of visual-vestibular.<\/p>\n<p><strong>LEARN MORE:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<strong><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/vision-therapy\/neuro-optometry\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/vision-therapy\/neuro-optometry\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1627026498605000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEH8ZwM3322Sg-haVcy5ItXv_12lA\">Guide to Neuro-Optometry<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1627026498605000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH7JZgx3qF6ND1e55h3bW-66QSrSQ\"><b>Schedule an appointment<\/b><\/a>\u00a0with an eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam, and to discuss any questions you may have about treating your eye condition.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Author: Dr. Aaron Nichols Excel Neuro-Optometric Clinic Do you experience motion sickness while driving a car or motorcycle, or riding as a passenger?\u00a0 Motion sickness<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1980,"featured_media":7675,"parent":1125,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-article.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[84,89,355,356,142],"class_list":["post-7905","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-adults","tag-brain-injury","tag-imbalance","tag-motion-sickness","tag-vision"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - 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