[Motility of the large intestine]

Colonic motility has a number of tasks to fulfill: mixing, storage and slow transportation of intestinal contents, and rapid evacuation of feces. All this requires complex motor patterns. Phases of contraction alternate with phases of motor inactivity. Contractile activity is controlled by the myoelectric activity. Spikes and oscillations are superimposed on the electrical control activity. Short spike bursts are associated with contractions of short duration and serve for mixing; long spike bursts and oscillations are accompanied by tonic contractions of long duration, and are mainly propulsive. Giant migrating contractions occur sporadically and result in the emptying of large sections of the colon. Disturbances of colonic motility are of pathogenetic significance in a number of diseases. This has diagnostic and therapeutic consequences.