Gastroduodenal motility

Major themes to emerge from recent literature in the area of gastroduodenal motility include significant progress in the development of noninvasive tests of gastric function and an emphasis both on the importance of regional motor specialization within the stomach and of the complex interactions between the stomach and the rest of the gastrointestinal tract. In the clinical arena, nonulcer dyspepsia continues to attract intense interest, and dysmotility and altered gut perception and sensation continue to be major areas of research activity. Available data suggest, however, that dyspepsia is unlikely to be explained by a single pathophysiologic mechanism but more likely reflects an interaction between a variety of abnormalities at a number of levels.