Effect of Jet Lag on Postural Stability

Postural stability is essential in people’s daily life. Crossing time zones can disrupt our body clock and lead to jet lag. Some studies reported that jet lag affects human physical and cognitive functions. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, none of these studies examined the effects of jet lag on postural stability. Twenty-two healthy young adult males between 23 and 36 years of age who had a round trip flight planned between the United States and Saudi Arabia were recruited. Participants attended one preflight assessment and three post-flight assessments (within 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours). Participants were divided into 2 groups based on their selection upon arrival (group 1: post-flight visit 1 prior sleeping at home and group 2: attended post-flight visit 1 after sleeping one night at home). Participant’s postural stability was assessed using computerized dynamic posturography. A questionnaire was used to measure their experiences during the flight. Significant improvements in postural stability were observed in group 2 during the second post-flight assessment (p<0.05). There was a no significant impact on participant’s postural stability while flying westward crossing more than ten time zones during the first twenty-four hours; however, it was improved within seventy-two hours. Many body systems contribute to support postural stability, one of which is the vestibular system. Vestibular rehabilitation has many terminology conflicts that can have a negative impact on patient management and general understanding of the content. Therefore, the author performed a literature review to identify several of these conflicts and provided recommendations for minimizing these conflicts.