title: Nuclear medicine evaluation of motion sickness and medications on gastric emptying time.
abstract: Diminished gastric motility and lack of bowel sounds have been observed in astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle (4). In this study subjects were given scopolamine 0.6 mg with d-amphetamine 5 mg with and without neostigmine 15 mg. Neostigmine 15 mg alone was also compared with placebo for effect on gastric emptying time. In an additional test, subjects performed head movements in a rotating chair to an end-point of motion sickness short of vomiting. Ten ounces of isotonic saline containing 1 mCl of Tc 99mDPTA was ingested 2 h after the medications and immediately after rotation. The counts from stomach contents were monitored with a Picker small field of view gamma camera every 30 s for 1 h. Gastric motility was inhibited by scopolamine and amphetamine with 14% residual count at the end of 1 h. When neostigmine was added to this combination the results were in the placebo range. Motion sickness produced a profound inhibition of gastric emptying with a 47% residual count. The results indicate that the gastric stasis encountered in space is due mainly to motion sickness with a minimal contribution from the antimotion sickness drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, L.S.U. Medical Center, Shreveport 71130.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Manno
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Manno
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Redetzki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003913:Dextroamphetamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D009041:Motion Sickness / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D009388:Neostigmine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate
chemical_list: D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D009388:Neostigmine; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D012601:Scopolamine; D003913:Dextroamphetamine; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate