Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders Michael Camilleri, MD, and G. Richard Locke III, MD

Motility disorders result from impaired control of the neuromuscular apparatus of the gut. Associated symptoms include recurrent or chronic nausea, vomiting, bloating and abdominal discomfort, constipation, or diarrhea, which occur in the absence of intestinal obstruction. Occasionally, gastroparesis and intestinal pseudo-obstruction are associated with generalized disease processes that affect other regions of the gastrointestinal tract and extraintestinal organs, including the urinary bladder. In many patients, the role of motility in generating symptoms is unclear. Such patients are thought to have a functional gastrointestinal disorder, specifically functional dyspepsia.