Nausea and vomiting are common highly aversive experiences for patients with gastrointestinal disease and result in reductions of appetite, qualit of life, and adherence to medications with these side effects. Progress in understanding the biology and treatment of nausea and vomiting has been slow partly because there is currently no focused scientific meeting to discuss and collaborate on these research topics. The current R13 application is a request to support a comprehensive scientific conference on the mechanisms of nausea and vomiting, """"""""International Conference on Nausea and Vomiting 2013,"""""""" to be held at University of Pittsburgh (October 3-4, 2013). This conference will substantially contribute to the goal of the National Commission on Digestive Diseases to """"""""understand the noxious visceral signaling causing nausea and vomiting related to gastric neuro-electrical and/or motor dysfunction and the bi-directional brain-gut interactions."""""""" There are four objectives of the conference: 1) Provide a forum for cross-disciplinary exchange of ideas to advance research on the biological mechanisms for nausea and vomiting, 2) Foster interactions for young investigators to present research findings and connect with laboratories and more senior investigators working in the field of nausea and vomiting research, 3) Offer a forum where scientists and clinicians who treat patients with nausea and vomiting can exchange information, and 4) Produce an overview and discussion of the major unresolved questions in nausea and vomiting biology and provide the latest methodology. The conference will include five primary sessions: 1) Personalized Medicine and Genetics;2) Gastroparesis and Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome;3) Vestibular and Gastrointestinal Integration;4) Assessment and Control of Nausea;and 5) Cellular Biology and Future Directions. Speakers will present cutting edge research on nausea and vomiting related to gastroparesis, pregnancy, cyclic vomiting syndrome, motion sickness, and drug responses (chemotherapy, opioid analgesics) using genetic, electrophysiological, neuroimaging, and electronic patient reporting approaches. A scientific poster session featuring young investigators will also be provided. The proceedings of the conference will be published in a peer-reviewed journal: Experimental Brain Research. Conference attendees will primarily include scientists (neuroscience, nutrition, and pharmacology), physicians (gastroenterology, oncology, and anesthesiology), and other heathcare providers (nurses, nutritionists). Emphasis will be placed on attendance by early stage investigator faculty and trainees to facilitate the next generation of researchers.
Over one hundred million visits to doctors'offices occur each year for digestive diseases, frequently in response to symptoms of nausea and vomiting. We must better understand the biology of nausea to develop more effective treatments. The proposed conference is relevant to the NIDDK's priority to understand how the body signals the sensation of nausea and vomiting to the brain, particularly in the context of gastrointestinal disorders.
