European vestibular experiments on the Spacelab-1 mission: 4. Thresholds of perception of whole-body linear oscillation.

Thresholds for the detection of linear oscillatory motion at 0.3 Hz in the X, Y and Z body axes were determined during the flight of Spacelab-1 and on the ground pre- and post-flight, using the method of limits with a single staircase procedure. Pre-flight, Z axis thresholds (mean 0.077 ms-2) were significantly higher than X and Y thresholds (mean 0.029 ms-2). Measures obtained on three crew members in-flight exhibited thresholds greater, by a factor of 1.5-4.3, than those obtained pre-flight. Post-flight, two crew members had significantly elevated X and Y axis thresholds whereas the other two crew members had lowered thresholds in X, Y and Z axes. In general, thresholds had returned to pre-flight levels by the second post-flight day. A possible explanation for these somewhat disparate responses is presented.