Most commonly, MdDS presents after an ocean cruise, air, or automobile travel. Symptoms usually begin shortly after the cessation of the motion. Imagine never feeling at rest..
While MdDS is a disorder of perceived movement, researchers will want to study other aspects, or domains, of the MdDS experience. Symptoms that are not of movement may include:
Sensitivity to light
Dizziness
Headaches
Migraine Headaches
Intolerance of busy patterns
Visual motion intolerance
Loss of self-confidence
Confusion
Memory loss
Ear pain and/or fullness
Anxiety & depression
Difficulty concentrating
Difficulty multitasking
Is MdDS Remission Possible?
Yes! As a given course of MdDS progresses toward remission, symptoms typically lessen in severity and intervals of symptom-free periods become more frequent and prolonged. Patients with zero (0) perception of movement, sustained for at least six (6) months, are considered in remission.
A Balanced Scale
New in 2025! Measure and Monitor your MdDS – the perception of movement in the absence of motion – with our new interactive scale. Help others understand how the intensity of your symptoms can vary, and how they can affect your daily life. A printable scale makes sharing findings with your physician simple! Download and Print the New Scale
Interactive Symptom Severity Scale
Mild
Low
Moderate
High
Severe
None
Very Mild
Barely noticeable
Mild
Noticeable
Very Low
Distracting sometimes
Low
Distracting usually
Intermediate
Interrupting
Moderate
Hard to ignore
High
Can't ignore
Very High
Awful
Severe
Hard to bear
Very Severe
Unbearable
Select the number to highlight your level.
What Increases MdDS Symptoms?
Stress
Lack of sleep
Working at a computer for extended intervals
Enclosed spaces such as the shower, stairwells or long hallways especially those with busy carpet patterns
Supermarket aisles and other rapidly changing stimuli such as flipping through pages or images & screen scrolling
Changes in barometric pressure (weather)
Allergy symptoms
Fatigue, increasing as the day progresses.
What Alleviates MdDS Symptoms?
Travel (e.g., movement/motion in a car or airplane)
The MdDS Foundation is developing a patient registry to collect data on symptom modifiers—factors that increase or decrease the intensity of MdDS symptoms. We’ll share our findings here once enough data has been collected and analyzed. Visit the MdDS Registry page to learn more.
Is MdDS Episodic?
In some patients, repeated bouts of MdDS may occur and are usually associated with a precipitating event, e.g., travel or high stress. Subsequent episodes are generally more prolonged but some patients experience a quick return to baseline. Find answers to other FAQs on the About the Disorder & FAQs page.