Relationship of gastric myoelectrical and cardiac parasympathetic activity to chemotherapy-induced nausea

Objectives: We evaluated (a) whether pretreatment levels of gastric tachyarrhythmia, a dysrhythmic pattern of gastric myoelectrical activity or cardiac parasympathetic activity are associated with the development of chemotherapy-induced nausea and (b) whether chemotherapy-induced nausea is preceded by an increase in gastric tachyarrhythmia and a decrease in cardiac parasympathetic activity, as has been observed during motion sickness. Methods: Electrogastrograms and estimates of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) were obtained from cancer chemotherapy patients before treatment and for approximately 24 hours after treatment. Results: Higher levels of pretreatment gastric tachyarrhythmia were observed on chemotherapy sessions that were followed by posttreatment reports of nausea. Pretreatment levels of RSA, however, did not differ between chemotherapy treatments that were and were not followed by nausea. No statistically significant changes in gastric tachyarrhythmia or RSA were observed prior to first reports of nausea following chemotherapy. Conclusions: In contrast to motion sickness, chemotherapy-induced nausea may not be related to an increase in dysrhythmic gastric myoelectrical activity; however, higher levels of pretreatment gastric tachyarrhythmia may be related to posttreatment reports of chemotherapy-induced nausea. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.