The Effect of Water Immersion on Perception of the Oculogravic Illusion in Normal and Labyrinthine-Defective Subjects¹

Abstract

The separate and combined influences of otolith and nonotolith sensory inputs upon perception of the oculogravic illusion were investigated by manipulating the visual and gravitoinertial force environments. By comparing the visually perceived direction of space by four naval aviators and four deaf persons with bilateral labyrinthine defects when dry and when immersed in water up to neck level, the contributions of (1) field force receptors in the vestibular organs and (2) nonvestibular proprio-ceptors stimulated by external contact support could be differentiated. Under these various conditions it was found that in normal persons, the vestibular contribution is predictable in terms of the direction of the gravitoinertial force vector but that the nonvestibular contribution varies; it may be relatively great or small. In persons with bilateral labyrinthine defects a nonvestibular contribution was always present but there was great individual variance. The significance of the findings in terms of tests measuring the function of the otolith organs is discussed.