Effects of supine body position and low radial accelerations on the visually perceived apparent zenith

Abstract

The visually perceived eye level (VPEL) has been shown to shift toward the lower part of the body in upright subjects facing toward the axis of rotation on a centrifuge. This shift occurs in the same direction as the shift in the gravito-inertial forces (Gis) produced by very low radial acceleration (centrifugation) combined with gravity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the same phenomenon affects the visually perceived apparent zenith (VPAZ) in subjects in a supine position. Twelve supine subjects were instructed to set a luminous target to the VPAZ, either while they were in total darkness and motionless or while undergoing very low centrifugation. Data showed that Gis induced a VPAZ shift similar to that observed for the VPEL. Thus, as is the case for the VPEL, the corresponding logarithmic psychophysical function of the VPAZ may be considered to be a type of oculogravic illusion phenomenon with differences in the subjects' that differs from subject to subject, depending on the subject's sensitivity to low radial accelerations. Data on VPEL and VPAZ support the notion that the subjective perception of eye level in total darkness takes into account changes - even if extremely slight - in the direction of the gravito-inertial forces produced by the combination of gravity and low radial accelerations, although subjects are unaware of the Gi shift. However, depending on the intensity of the radial acceleration and the angular deviation of Gi relative to G, the shift of the VPEL and the VPAZ can be either amplified or attenuated. Moreover, differences between VPEL and VPAZ responses suggest two explanatory assumptions - namely, that this is (1) a peripheral phenomenon dependent on the neurophysiological anisotropy of the otolithic system or (2) a central phenomenon dependent on the relevance assigned to the peripheral information by the integrative sensory functions and the associative processes.