Digestive, cognitive and hedonic responses to a meal. Issue 3 (3rd January 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Malagelada, C.; Accarino, A.; Molne, L.; Mendez, S.; Campos, E.; Gonzalez, A.; Malagelada, J. R.; Azpiroz, F.
• Is Part Of: Neurogastroenterology & motility. Volume 27:Issue 3(2015:Mar.)
• Page Start: 389
• Page End: 396
• Publication Date: 2015-01-03
• Subjects: Gastrointestinal system -- Motility -- Periodicals; Gastrointestinal system -- Innervation -- Periodicals; 616.33
• DOI: 10.1111/nmo.12504
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1350-1925

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="nmo12504-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="nmo12504-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>Gut dysfunctions may be associated to digestive symptoms. We hypothesized that the gut can also originate pleasant sensations, and wished to demonstrate the hedonic component of the digestive response to a meal.</p> </sec> <sec id="nmo12504-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Healthy subjects (<italic>n</italic> = 42) were evaluated during basal fasting conditions and during experimentally induced fullness sensation (either by gastric distension or duodenal nutrient infusion). In each set of studies, a 240 mL test meal (12 kcal broth) and water, as inert control meal, were administered on separate days in a randomized, cross‐over design. Gastric accommodation, the cognitive response and the hedonic dimension (both by 10 score scales) were measured 9 min before and 60 min after the meal.</p> </sec> <sec id="nmo12504-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Key Results</title> <p>In basal conditions, the test meal induced a significantly greater gastric relaxation than the control meal (166 ± 28 mL isotonic volume increase 67 ± 14 mL; <italic>p</italic> = 0.002). Both meals induced epigastric fullness (3.8 ± 0.7 score and 3.2 ± 0.8 score, respectively; <italic>p</italic> = 0.740), but contrary to the inert meal, with the active meal this conscious sensation had a pleasant dimension (digestive comfort increase by 1.3 ± 0.6 score with active meal <italic>vs</italic> −1.1 ± 0.6 decrease with inert meal; <italic>p</italic> = 0.015). Experimentally induced fullness was associated to a decrease in digestive well‐being or abdominal discomfort, which improved only after the active meal but not the inert meal.</p> </sec> <sec id="nmo12504-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions & Inferences</title> <p>When appropriate conditions are met, the response to a meal includes a hedonic dimension involving pleasant sensation of digestive well‐being.</p> </sec> </abstract>