Bárány chair
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2007) |
The Barany chair or Bárány chair, named for the Hungarian physiologist Robert Bárány, is a device used for aerospace physiology training, particularly for student pilots. The subject is placed in the chair, blindfolded, then spun about the vertical axis while keeping his head upright or tilted forward or to the side. The subject is then asked to perform tasks such as determine his direction of rotation while blindfolded, or rapidly change the orientation of his head, or attempt to point at a stationary object without blindfold after the chair is stopped. The chair is used to demonstrate spatial disorientation effects, proving that the vestibular system is not to be trusted in flight. Pilots are taught that they should instead rely on their flight instruments.
The device is also used in motion sickness therapy, which generally has a high success rate.
Bárány used this device in his ground-breaking research into the role of the inner ear in our sense of balance, which won him the 1914 Nobel prize.
[edit] See also
 |
This medical treatment-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
