Motion and space sickness: intestinal and autonomic correlates

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Neuroscience
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Motion sickness is a complex syndrome with variable symptoms and triggers.
• Individual responses to motion sickness can differ significantly.
• Understanding the physiological underpinnings is crucial for managing symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of autonomic nervous system (ANS) and gastrointestinal (GI) changes during motion sickness.
• To explore the physiological mechanisms underlying motion sickness.
• To highlight the variability in physiological responses.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing research on motion sickness.
• Analysis of studies investigating ANS and GI functions during motion sickness.
• Synthesis of findings on gastric myoelectrical activity and gastric emptying.

Main Results:

• Autonomic nervous system plays a key role in mediating motion sickness symptoms.
• Nausea, a common symptom, is associated with significant GI alterations.
• Delayed gastric emptying and decreased gastric myoelectrical activity are observed during nausea.

Conclusions:

• The autonomic nervous system is undeniably involved in the physiological expression of motion sickness.
• Gastric function is notably impaired when nausea is a predominant symptom.
• Further research is needed to fully elucidate the complex ANS-GI interactions in motion sickness.