A mild shock to the head could solve motion sickness and researchers hope to see the solution sold over the counter at pharmacies soon.
No one has been able to pin down the exact cause of motion sickness and support their determination with science. Though they haven't exactly found a cause, researchers at the Imperial College London's Department of Medicine believe they've found a way to manage the effects.
The researchers conducted a study in which volunteers wore electrodes on their heads while they endured the tilting and whirling of a chair meant to induce motion sickness, which is still believed to be the effects of conflicting signals from the ears and eyes.
Their findings were detailed in a paper, "Electro-cortical Therapy for Motion Sickness," and published in the journal Neurology on Aug. 4.
They concluded that motion sickness could be muted by using shock to dampen the signals in the area of the brain responsible for motion control. A mild shock to the scalp would cut down the bandwidth in that sector of the brain.
The researchers were so encouraged by the results of study they have been looking at partners to help bring the solution to market.
In about five to ten years, people will be able to by an anti-motion sickness device from their local drug stores, according to Lead Researcher Qadeer Arshad. The defense sector is also interested in the new approach to combating motion sickness, he said.
"This aspect is of great interest to the military and we imagine that other groups such as students and people who spend long periods playing computer games will also want to try it out," said Arshad.
The researchers have already been mulling ways to fit their solution into the modern world, which is increasingly reliant on mobile devices. They hope to integrate the technology with smartphones, which could pass along a small jolt of electricity through their headphone jacks.
You "would temporarily attach small electrodes to your scalp before travelling - on a cross channel ferry, for example," said Arshad.
For those concerned about any long-term contraindications, Arshard said their should be none to issue.
"The currents involved are very small and there is no reason to expect any adverse effects from short term use."
