Gastric modulation of food reward, olfaction and taste in obesity and bariatric surgery: an artificial intelligence assisted scoping review protocol

ObjectiveTo understand the extent and nature of the available research on gastric modulation of food reward, olfaction, and taste in people with obesity or those who have undergone bariatric surgery. IntroductionBariatric surgery-induced weight loss is partially attributed to shifts in food preferences resulting from alterations in sensory perceptions and changes in reward system. The stomachs innervation and mechanical function have been theorized to play a significant role in these modifications, as suggested by numerous preclinical studies. However, the extent and nature of these connections in clinical settings require further elucidation. Inclusion criteriaThis review will examine studies on the influence of gastric innervation and/or mechanical function on food reward, olfaction, and taste. Selected studies will include participants of all ages with obesity or bariatric surgery. Both observational studies and controlled experiments will be considered, while study protocols, opinion articles, letters to the editor, book chapters, oral communication or poster abstracts and systematic reviews will be excluded. MethodsThe search will be undertaken in MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and gray literature. No date parameters will be set, and all languages will be considered. Citations will be uploaded into EndNote 20.0 and duplicates removed using Covidence. The remaining studies will be analyzed by 3 reviewers using a two-stage procedure with the ASReview python package. The full-text screening and the data extraction will be conducted by 2 reviewers on Covidence. An additional reviewer will be consulted in the event of disagreement. Tabulated results will be accompanied by a narrative summary.