Have you heard of the post-cruise ship Vertigo? Ever had the feeling and motion you were still on a cruise ship out in the sea? Or a sense of vertigo, disequilibrium, imbalance or even ‘brain fog’?
Well, the medical term for the cruise ship vertigo is Mal de Debarquement Syndrome (MDDS). This “sickness of disembarkment” is a prolonged sensation of movement following exposure, such as a long sea voyage. It is quite distinct to motion vertigo like car sickness, since the exposure to the stimulus is not current and often duration of the symptoms are much longer. Interestingly, there appears to be no preference for gender or age. Furthermore, individuals who experience other forms of motion sickness are neither preferred as well.
A common characteristic of persons with MDDS is that their balance system is very good at adapting to ‘sea legs’, but very slow at returning. There are currently a few possible theories surrounding the neurological bases of this balance disorder. All theories surround a mismatch with appropriate sensory and balance information. As a result, this distorts the internal models generated by the brain.
Most therapies do not appear to be very successful. However, if the goal is to modify the internal model of balance control, then active vestibular exercise for recovery should be suggested. In fact, teaching the nervous system appropriate and accurate sensory contexts is important. This can be achieved with gaze stabilisation exercises, weight-bearing aerobic activity, or even walking within a controlled environment.
At Brainstorm, we assist with reorganising the internal motor models of the brain through various therapeutic procedures.
