Objective : To investigate the effect of acupuncture stimulation at PC6 (Neiguan, Naikan) on optokinetic motion sickness, motion sickness scores were evaluated and changes in electrogastrograms (EGG) were analyzed in each subject.
Methods : Thirty-six normal volunteers were randomly divided into three groups : electrical acupuncture group, retaining needle group, and no treatment group.
Subjects were exposed to a rotating optokinetic drum to induce vection. EGG was recorded continuously before, during, and after the rotation exposure, each period being fifteen minutes in length. To evaluate the severity of motion sickness in each subject, subjective symptoms of motion sickness (SSMS) score and visual analogue scale (VAS) were obtained.
Results : The severity of nausea which is one of main symptom of motion sickness was suppressed, and the percentage of normal 2?4 cpm band of EGG activity was increased earlier after drum rotation exposure in the retaining needle group than in the no treatment group.
Conclusion : From these results, we conclude that the retaining needle stimulation of the PC6 acupoints was effective for optokinetic motion sickness possibly by suppressing abnormal gastric myoelectric activities.