Other terms
- Mucopolysaccharidosis
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Mutation
- Myelogram
- Myocardial Infarction
- Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (MPI)
- Myopia
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- National Institute of Health (NIH)
- Neoadjuvant Therapy
- Neoplasm
- Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS)
Motility
What is Motility? Motility refers to the process by which food moves through the digestive tract from the mouth, through the esophagus, stomach, and small and large intestines, until it is passed as stool. It encompasses the muscular activity of the digestive tract and the excretory activity.
Disorders of Gastric Motility
Disorders of motility are characterized by a range of symptoms, including trouble swallowing, early satiation, nausea and vomiting, epigastric pain, and delayed gastric emptying. The pathophysiology of motility is thought to be rooted in the dysfunction of the coordination of the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract. The dysfunction can result from several etiologies, including:
- Genetics, as seen in Hirschprung’s disease.
- Alterations in microbiota, such as in small bowel bacterial overgrowth.
- Loss of interstitial cells and neurons, and fibrosis of the muscular layers, from inflammatory damage that is implicated in disorders such as gastroparesis.
- Ingestion of toxins, as seen in cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome.
Source: Motility Disorders. (n.d.). IFFGD. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://iffgd.org/gi-disorders/motility-disorders/
