Perspectives of electrogastrography and motion sickness

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Electrogastrography (EGG) noninvasively measures gastric myoelectrical activity using abdominal surface electrodes.
• EGG has been utilized for over a decade to objectively assess symptoms like nausea during visually induced sickness.
• Changes in EGG's dominant frequency (e.g., 3 vs. 4-9 cycles/min) have been linked to sickness states.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of Electrogastrography (EGG) in assessing motion sickness.
• To investigate the correlation between gastric myoelectrical activity and motion sickness incidence/severity.
• To clarify the underlying mechanisms and diagnostic value of EGG in motion sickness.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing Electrogastrography (EGG) to record stomach electrical activity.
• Analyzing spectral characteristics of EGG during exposure to various motion sickness stimuli.
• Comparing EGG data with reported symptoms and severity of motion sickness.

Main Results:

• Studies report shifts in EGG frequency during sickness, with decreased 3 cycles/min and increased 4-9 cycles/min activity.
• EGG has been used to test anti-motion sickness drugs and monitor sickness from diverse stimuli.
• Conflicting findings exist regarding the positive correlation between EGG changes and motion sickness severity.

Conclusions:

• The interpretation of EGG spectral analysis during motion sickness requires caution due to inherent and intersubject variability.
• Electrogastrography is currently not considered a consistently reliable or robust indicator of motion sickness.
• The precise relationship between EGG and motion sickness, including its underlying mechanisms, remains undetermined, and its diagnostic value is yet to be established.