Potential effects of pleasant and cold stimuli on nausea and vomiting induced by disgusting tastes

Exploring comfort food cravings during pregnancy: A cross-sectional survey study

The current study explored "comfort food" cravings during pregnancy and compared them with a non-pregnant control group, focusing on the types of craved foods, their associated sensory characteristics and emotional valence. With an online questionnaire, participants were asked about their craved foods during pregnancy or in general through open-ended questions, followed by descriptions of the sensory and affective associations of these items using the Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) method. A total of 867 women participated int eh study, distributed across the pregnancy-diet group (197 pregnant women, 288 postpartum women) and control group (382 non-pregnant) took part. While a significant portion of participants in both groups reported cravings for confectionery/sweets, these cravings were less frequent in the pregnancy group (35.9 % vs. 62.0 %, p < 0.001). Non-citrus fruits were more commonly craved during pregnancy than in the control group (29 % vs. 13 %, p < 0.001). The sensory characteristics of cravings showed that both groups favoured 'sweet' and 'salty' foods, but the pregnancy group exhibited a marked preference for foods described as 'cold' (29 % vs. 13 %, p < 0.001), while the control group preferred 'warm', 'creamy', or 'thick' foods. The most frequently selected descriptors for the Emotion-CATA were 'satisfied', 'happy' and 'pleasant' across both groups, although the control group were more likely to associate comfort foods with 'guilty' (19.5 % vs 11.7 %, p < 0.001). These findings suggest potential alterations of chemosomatosensory functions associated with pregnancy and underscore the importance of understanding these cravings. Recognising the role of comfort foods on dietary choices during pregnancy can help us develop dietary strategies that can help mitigate the negative health impacts of comfort food consumption during pregnancy and highlight the importance of emotional and psychological support during this period.

Does Cold Vapor Prevent Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy? A Randomized Controlled Trial

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of cold vapor on nausea and vomiting in the early postoperative period after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

DESIGN

Randomized controlled study.

METHODS

This study was carried out with 44 intervention and 44 control group patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy between May 2022 and December 2022. Cold vapor was applied to the experimental group for 15 minutes in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU). The patients were evaluated in terms of nausea and vomiting at the 0th minute and 30th minute in the PACU, and at the 2nd, 6th, 12th, and 24th hours in service after surgery.

FINDINGS

There was a significant difference between the groups in terms of nausea at the postoperative 30th minute, 2nd hour, and 6th hour. The postoperative nausea incidence and scores in the experimental group were significantly lower. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of vomiting at all times after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Postoperative cold vapor helps to reduce the severity of nausea but does not affect vomiting. Thus, it can be used in the control of nausea after cholecystectomy.

The effect of aromatherapy with peppermint essential oil on nausea and vomiting after cardiac surgery: A randomized clinical trial

Background Postoperative nausea and vomiting are common in patients who underwent cardiac surgery. This study aimed to examine the effect of peppermint essential oil inhalation on the postoperative nausea and vomiting after cardiac surgery. Methods In this clinical trial study, 60 cardiac surgery patients were divided into control and intervention groups. The intervention group underwent nebulizer aromatherapy with peppermint essential oil before the endotracheal tube was removed after surgery. Patients' nausea and vomiting were then assessed through a checklist. The independent-samples t-test, chi-square, and Generalized estimating equation were used for data analysis. Results Totally 85.7% of the patients undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The two groups did not significantly differ in terms of their baseline demographic and clinical variables (P > 0.05). Significant differences were found between the intervention and control groups in terms of the frequency of nausea (0.63 ± 0.81 vs. 1.46 ± 1.21), its duration (3.78 ± 5.09 vs. 7.97 ± 5.55 min), and severity (2.43 ± 2.84 vs. 4.61 ± 2.85), and in the frequency of vomiting episodes (0.17 ±.46 vs. 0.73 ±.60) in the first four hours after extubation (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Peppermint essential oil inhalation has beneficial effects on reducing nausea and vomiting after open-heart surgery. Using peppermint essential oil inhalation for managing postoperative nausea and vomiting is recommended.

Effects of lesions in different nuclei of the amygdala on conditioned taste aversion

Conditioned taste aversion (CTA) is an adaptive learning that depends on brain mechanisms not completely identified. The amygdala is one of the structures that make up these mechanisms, but the involvement of its nuclei in the acquisition of CTA is unclear. Lesion studies suggest that the basolateral complex of the amygdala, including the basolateral and lateral amygdala, could be involved in CTA. The central amygdala has also been considered as an important nucleus for the acquisition of CTA in some studies. However, to the best of our knowledge, the effect of lesions of the basolateral complex of the amygdala on the acquisition of CTA has not been directly compared with the effect of lesions of the central and medial nuclei of the amygdala. The aim of this study is to compare the effect of lesions of different nuclei of the amygdala (the central and medial amygdala and the basolateral complex) on the acquisition of taste aversion in male Wistar rats. The results indicate that lesions of the basolateral complex of the amygdala reduce the magnitude of the CTA when compared with lesions of the other nuclei and with animals without lesions. These findings suggest that the involvement of the amygdala in the acquisition of CTA seems to depend particularly on the integrity of the basolateral complex of the amygdala.