Disturbances of Gastrointestinal Motility and the Nervous System

The nervous system modulates normal gut function through the extrinsic neural supply and the enteric nervous system of the gastrointestinal tract. Disorders of the nervous system affecting gastrointestinal tract function are manifested primarily as abnormalities in motor, rather than absorptive or secretory, functions or other digestive processes. The normal neural-gut interactions, common clinical manifestations of gut dysmotility encountered in neurologic disorders, and the assessment of gastrointestinal functions that might be used to assess extrinsic autonomic control of viscera are reviewed in this chapter. Finally, the main features in the diagnosis and treatment of neurologic diseases affecting the gut are discussed.