{
  "abstract": "Introduction Illness perceptions represent the emotional and cognitive frameworks patients use to understand their condition, and they serve as vital determinants of patient outcomes, treatment adherence, and quality of life. While illness perceptions have been extensively studied in structural gastrointestinal disorders and irritable bowel syndrome, their influence in chronic gastroduodenal disorders like functional dyspepsia (FD) and chronic nausea and vomiting syndrome (CNVS) is not well understood. This research aimed to clarify how illness perceptions intersect with symptoms, mental health, and gastric electrophysiology in these patients.Methods Patients meeting the Rome IV criteria for FD or CNVS underwent body surface gastric mapping (BSGM) using Gastric Alimetry (Alimetry, New Zealand). The standard protocol involved a 30min fasting period, a 482kCal meal, and 4hr postprandial recording, with symptom tracking. Patients were categorised into phenotypes using validated rule-based criteria. Illness perceptions were measured using the Brief Illness Perceptions Questionnaire alongside a battery of psychometrics.Results The study included 309 patients (80% female; median age= 36, 15-88) who consistently reported negative illness perceptions, which showed strong-medium correlations with symptom severity, quality of life, and mental health. Notably, patients who perceived their condition as having more severe consequences reported greater symptoms, along with worse depression, anxiety, stress, and quality of life (all p<.001). A stronger identification with one’s symptoms predicted worse symptom severity (p=.006), but lower anxiety (p=.003). Lower perceived understanding of their condition predicted higher quality of life (p=.043) and lower anxiety (p=.050). Furthermore, poorer perceptions of treatment control and a higher emotional reaction to symptoms significantly correlated with higher BMI-Adjusted Amplitude (r=-.14-.17, all p<.025). From a phenotyping perspective, the Continuous Phenotype (normal spectral metrics with continuous symptoms) was predictive of worse illness perceptions, including higher perceived consequences, identified experience, concern, and emotional response (all p<.030). While the High Frequency Phenotype was associated with a poorer understanding of symptoms (p=.044).Conclusions How a patient perceives their condition is a measurable and impactful factor that shapes the clinical experience of patients with FD and CNVS. The demonstrated links with gastric electrophysiology suggest a complex relationship that spans both psychological health and underlying patient physiology. This research highlights the need for a multidisciplinary approach to care, emphasising the importance of patient education and clinical strategies designed to reframe maladaptive beliefs.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Alimetry Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand",
        "Te Whatu Ora- Waitemata, Auckland, New Zealand"
      ],
      "name": "Charlotte Daker"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Alimetry Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand",
        "The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand"
      ],
      "name": "Mikaela Law"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand"
      ],
      "name": "Isabella Pickering"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Alimetry Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand"
      ],
      "name": "Nicky Dachs"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Alimetry Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand",
        "The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand"
      ],
      "name": "Gabriel Schamberg"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Alimetry Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand",
        "University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Christopher N Andrews"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Alimetry Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand",
        "The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand"
      ],
      "name": "Armen Gharibans"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Alimetry Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand",
        "The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand"
      ],
      "name": "Greg O’Grady"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Alimetry Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand",
        "The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand"
      ],
      "name": "Stefan Calder"
    }
  ],
  "title": "FP46 The relationships between illness perceptions, symptoms, mental health, and gastric electrophysiology in functional dyspepsia and chronic nausea and vomiting syndrome",
  "uid": "f26dd9aa-2242-55af-a928-8a22e8f25e72"
}