Skip to main content

Effects of vection-induced motion sickness on gastric myoelectric activity and oral-cecal transit time

Digestive Diseases and Sciences volume 41, pages 330–334 (1996)Cite this article

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of vection-induced motion sickness on three cycle per minute gastric myoelectric activity and oral-cecal transit time. Forty-five subjects were exposed to a rotating optokinetic drum while electrogastrograms and subjective reports of symptoms were monitored. Prior to exposure, baseline breath hydrogen levels were established and subjects ingested vanilla pudding containing 10 g of lactulose. Breath hydrogen measurements were obtained before drum rotation and every 10 minutes after rotation, for 3 hr. Based on the severity of motion sickness symptoms reported, subjects were divided into two groups: a group susceptible to, and a group not susceptible to, vection-induced motion sickness. Averaged across subjects, the percentage of three cycle per minute activity decreased from baseline to rotation (3.6%) and from rotation to recovery (3.0%) [F(2/70)=2.43,P<0.1], with the susceptible group showing a greater over all decrease from baseline to recovery (8.9%), than the nonsusceptible group (4.2%) [F(1/35)=11.16,P<0.01]. The susceptible group had longer average oral-cecal transit times (144 min) than the nonsusceptible group (107 min) [t(36)=3.27,P<0.01]. Furthermore, symptom reports were positively correlated with oral-cecal transit times (r=0.43,P<0.05). In conclusion, vection-induced motion sickness is accompanied by decreased gastric three cycle per minute activity and prolonged oral-cecal transit times.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  1. Muth ER, Stern RM, Uijtdehaage SHJ, Koch KL: Effects of asian ancestry on susceptibility to vection-induced motion sickness.In Electrogastrography: Principles and Applications. JZ Chen, RW McCallum (eds). New York, Raven Press, 1994, pp 227–233

    Google Scholar 

  2. Stern RM, Uijtdehaage SHJ, Muth ER, Koch KL: Effects of phenytoin on vection-induced motion sickness and gastric myoelectric activity. Aviat Space Environ Med 65:1–4, 1994

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Stern RM, Koch KL, Leibowitz HW, Lindblad IM, Shupert CL, Stewart WR: Tachygastria and motion sickness. Aviat Space Environ Med 56:1074–1077, 1985

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bruley des Varannes S, Mizrahi M, Dubois A: Relation between postprandial gastric emptying and cutaneous electrogastrogram in primates. Am J Physiol 261:G248-G255, 1991

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Wood CD, Stewart JJ, Wood MJ, Manno JE, Manno BR, Mims ME: Therapeutic effects of anti-motion sickness medications on the secondary symptoms of motion sickness. Aviat Space Environ Med 61:157–161, 1990

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Stanghellini V, Malagelada JR, Zinsmeister AR, Go VLW, Kao PC: Stress-induced gastroduodenal motor disturbances in humans: Possible humoral mechanisms. Gastroenterology 85:83–91, 1983

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Koch KL, Stern RM, Vasey MW, Seaton JF, Demers LM, Harrison TS: Neuroendocrine and gastric myoelectric responses to illusory self-motion in humans. Am J Physiol 258:E304-E310, 1990

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Graybiel A, Wood CD, Miller EF, Cramer DB: Diagnostic criteria for grading the severity of acute motion sickness. Aero Med 39:453–455, 1968

    Google Scholar 

  9. Sciarretta G, Furno A, Mazzoni M, Garagnani B, Malagut P: Lactulose hydrogen breath test in orocecal transit assessment. Critical evaluation by means of scintigraphic method. Dig Dis Sci 39:1505–1510, 1994

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Corazza G, Strocchi A, Sorge M, Benati G, Gasbarrini G: Prevalence and consistency of low breath H2 excretion following lactulose ingestion. Possible implication for the clinical use of the H2 breath test. Dig Dis Sci 38:2010–2016, 1993

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Brummer RJM, Armbrecht U, Bosaeus I, Dotevall G, Stochbruegger RW: The hydrogen (H2) breath test. Sampling methods and the influence of dietary fibre on fasting level. Scand J Gastroenterol 20:1007–1013, 1985

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Read NW, An-Janabi MN, Bates TE, Holgate AM, Cann PA, Kinsman RI, McFarlane A, Brown C: Interpretation of the breath hydrogen profile obtained after ingesting a solid meal containing unabsorbable carbohydrate. Gut 26:834–842, 1985

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Stern RM, Koch KL, Vasey MW: The gastrointestinal system.In Principles of Psychophysiology. JT Cacioppo, LG Tassinary (eds). Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1990, pp 554–579

    Google Scholar 

  14. Uijtdehaage SHJ, Stern RM, Koch KL: Effects of scopolamine on autonomic profiles underlying motion sickness susceptibility. Aviat Space Environ Med 64:1–8, 1993

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Uijtdehaage SHJ, Stern RM, Koch KL: Effects of eating on vection-induced motion sickness, cardiac vagal tone, and gastric myoelectric activity. Psychophysiology 29:193–201, 1992

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Stewart JJ, Wood MJ, Wood CD: Electrogastrograms during motion sickness in fasted and fed subjects. Aviat Space Environ Med 60:214–217, 1989

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Thornton WE, Linder BJ, Moore TP, Pool SL: Gastrointestinal motility in space motion sickness. Aviat Space Environ Med 58:A1-A8, 1987

    Google Scholar 

  18. Malagelada JR, Azpiroz F: Determinants of gastric emptying and transit in the small intestine.In Handbook of Physiology. SG Schultz, JD Wood, BB Rauner (eds). Bethesda, American Physiological Society, 1989, pp 909–923

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Affiliations

  1. From the Departments of Psychology and Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania

    Eric R. Muth MS, Robert M. Stern PhD & Kenneth L. Koch MD

Authors
  1. Eric R. Muth MS
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Robert M. Stern PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kenneth L. Koch MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Muth, E.R., Stern, R.M. & Koch, K.L. Effects of vection-induced motion sickness on gastric myoelectric activity and oral-cecal transit time. Digest Dis Sci 41, 330–334 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02093824

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02093824

Key words

  • breath hydrogen test
  • electrogastrogram
  • oral-cecal transit time
  • motion sickness
  • gastric emptying