ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the control of gastric motility via vago-vagal pathways. The emphasis is placed on the role of the long extrinsic reflexes in the intestinal feedback regulation of gastric motor function. In addition, it is becoming evident that hormones, released postprandially, may also act on the vagal afferent pathway and initiate reflex activity which modulates gastric motor function. Although recently reviewed, the vagal afferent innervation of the gastrointestinal tract is summarized in order to clarify the characteristics of the afferent arm producing the reflexes under consideration. However, there is evidence that the proximal stomach does not exclusively provide the driving force for the emptying of liquids and that distal sites are also involved in the regulation of gastric emptying. Thus there is evidence that more than one gastroduodenal region is involved in the regulation of gastric emptying and that the extrinsic innervation plays a role in the control of gastric outflow.
