This study aimed to examine how vestibular dysfunction influences spatial perception and motor output, using drawing tasks as a tool to explore changes in body schema. Patients with otolith dysfunction were compared to astronauts tested before, during, and after six months of exposure to microgravity aboard the International Space Station. Participants were instructed to draw and write words both horizontally and vertically. When performing these tasks with eyes closed, vestibular patients frequently produced drawings and handwriting that were more vertically compressed compared to when their eyes were open. Similarly, astronauts exhibited greater vertical compression in drawings and handwriting during spaceflight compared to their preflight performance. These findings highlight the critical role of vestibular input in integrating multisensory information to preserve consistent spatial representations.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

This work was supported by the Centre National d Etudes Spatiales and the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse Purpan.

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The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

Comite de Protection des Personnes Sud-Ouest et Outre Mer. NASA Institutional Review Board Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects

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