New vistas on gastrointestinal motility: from physiology to therapy an international symposium in Rome.

like nausea, vomiting, postprandial fullness, abdominal bloating, abdominal discomfort, heartburn, constipation and diarrhea. It is well known that these symptoms are not always brought about by structural diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. They can, for example, be caused by alterations of gastrointestinal motility and/or sensation. These disorders affect an important percentage of the population and are therefore serious public health problems. Gastroparesis, gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) and functional disorders (like functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome [IBS]) are among the most important. Gastroparesis and GERD are disorders that are caused by defects of gastric or lower esophageal sphincter motility. Functional gastrointestinal disorders, like functional dyspepsia and IBS, are considered to be the clinical product of interacting psychosocial factors and altered gut physiology (abnormal motility, altered mucosal immunity, or visceral hypersensitivity) via the brain-gut axis.