The effects of meclizine on motion sickness revisited.

Abstract

AIMS:

Antihistamines make up the first line of treatments against motion-sickness. Still, their efficacy and specific mechanism have come into question. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of meclizine on motion-sensitivity.

METHODS:

This study was carried out as a triple-blinded randomized trial involving 12 healthy subjects who were exposed to (i) vestibular (VES), (ii) visual (VIS) and (iii) visual-vestibular (VIS+VES) stimulations in the roll plane. Subjects were divided into 2 groups by stratified randomization, receiving either meclizine or a placebo. Stimulations were carried out before, and after, drug administration, presented at 2 intensity levels of 14 and 28°/s2 . Eye movements were tracked, and torsional slow-phase velocities, amplitudes and nystagmus beats were retrieved. Subjects initially graded for their motion-sickness susceptibility.

RESULTS:

Susceptibility had no effect on intervention outcome. Despite large variations, repeated ANOVAS showed that meclizine led to a relative increase in torsional velocity compared to placebo during vestibular stimulation for both intensities: 2.36 (7.65) from -0.01 (4.17) during low intensities, and 2.61 (6.67) from -3.49 (4.76) during high. The visual-vestibular stimuli yielded a decrease during low acceleration, -0.40 (3.87) from 3.75 (5.62), but increased during high, 3.88 (6.51) from -3.88 (8.55).

CONCLUSIONS:

Meclizine had an inhibitory effect on eye movement reflexes for low accelerations during VIS+VES trials. This indicates that meclizine may not primarily work through sensory-specific mechanisms, but rather on a more central level. Practically, meclizine shows promise in targeting motion-sickness evoked by everyday activities, but its use may be counterproductive in high-acceleration environments.

• Authors: Tobias Wibble, Johanna Engström, Luca Verrecchia, Tony Pansell
• Journal: British journal of clinical pharmacology (Br J Clin Pharmacol) Vol. 86 Issue 8 Pg. 1510-1518 (08 2020) ISSN: 1365-2125 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 32077140 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)
• Copyright: © 2020 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Pharmacological Society.

Chemical References

• Meclizine

Topics

• Eye Movements
• Humans
• Meclizine
• Motion Sickness (drug therapy)