The enteric nervous system is involved in the pathology of Parkinson´s disease and patients frequently have symptoms related to delayed gastric emptying. However, the pathophysiology of gastric dysmotility is yet not well understood. The objective of this study was to assess interdigestive gastric motility in Parkinson´s disease. Using an electromagnetic capsule system, the dominant gastric contraction frequency (primary outcome measure) and the gastric transit time were assessed in 16 patients with Parkinson´s disease and 15 young healthy controls after a fasting period of 8 h. Motor and non-motor symptoms were assessed using the Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson´s Disease Rating Scale III (MDS-UPDRS III), the Non-Motor Symptoms Questionnaire (NMS-Quest), and Hoehn & Yahr staging. The Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index was used to record symptoms related to delayed gastric emptying. In healthy controls and patients with Parkinson's disease, the dominant contraction frequency was 3.0 cpm indicating normal function of interstitial cells of Cajal. In patients with Parkinson's disease, the gastric transit time was longer than in younger controls (56 vs. 21 min). The dominant contraction frequency and gastric transit time did not correlate with age, disease duration, Hoehn & Yahr stage, levodopa equivalent daily dose, MDS-UPDRS III, NMS-Quest, and Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index. Changes of gastric motility in Parkinson´s disease are not caused by functional deficits of the gastric pacemaker cells, the interstitial cells of Cajal. Therefore, gastroparesis in Parkinson's disease can be attributed to disturbances in neurohumoral signals via the vagus nerve and myenteric plexus.
Gastroparesis is an important complication of diabetes. Motility disorders are
underdiagnosed and can lead to unexplained hypoglycemia. Currently diagnostic
options are limited. All established methods harbor certain disadvantages. The
3D-MAGMA system is capable of reliably measuring gastric and small intestinal
motility. The aim of the current study was to determine if 3D-MAGMA is able to
detect changes in intestinal motility in people with type 2 diabetes. 18 healthy
volunteers and 19 people with type 2 diabetes underwent motility testing by
3D-MAGMA. In the control group the retention time in the stomach was 33.0 [min]
compared to 75.3 [min] in the diabetes group. The median time in the duodenum
was 12.7 [min] compared to 8.1 [min]. The time for the first 50 cm of
the jejunum was 29.9 [min] compared to 28.2 [min]. Discussion and conclusion:
3D-MAGMA is able to detect changes in intestinal motility. Its clinical value
might be useful in patients with fluctuating blood glucose levels and
unexplained hypoglycemic episodes.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.