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Updated: Aug 8, 2026
08:15
Gastrointestinal Motility Monitor (GIMM)
Published on: December 1, 2010
Intestinal motor function in irritable bowel syndrome
1Department of Gastro-Enterology, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, West Smithfield, London, UK.
Digestive Diseases (Basel, Switzerland)
|March 1, 1994
Summary
Gastrointestinal motility in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients shows inconsistent results across studies. Further research is needed to understand potential dysmotility in the small intestine and its origins.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Neurogastroenterology
- Digestive System Physiology
Background:
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is commonly linked to gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders.
- Existing evidence on motor disturbances in the colon and small intestine of IBS patients is conflicting.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and analyze the evidence for GI motility disorders in irritable bowel syndrome.
- To identify inconsistencies and challenges in current research on IBS motor function.
Main Methods:
- Review of myoelectric, motility, and transit studies in the colon and small intestine of IBS patients.
- Analysis of factors contributing to discrepancies in study results, including methodology and patient variability.
Main Results:
- Inconsistent findings exist regarding colonic and small intestinal motility in IBS.
- Some studies report increased clustered contractions in the proximal small intestine, but results are not uniform.
- Methodological differences and patient factors contribute to conflicting outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Current understanding of colonic and small intestinal motility in IBS is limited.
- Unrecognized motility disturbances may exist due to incomplete knowledge of contraction patterns.
- The origin of reported motor disturbances (local vs. central nervous system) remains undetermined.
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