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Gastrointestinal motility and disorders
Research Guide
What is Gastrointestinal motility and disorders?
Gastrointestinal motility and disorders refer to the coordinated movements of the digestive tract that propel contents through the gut and the functional conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, and gastroparesis involving altered motility influenced by microbiota, enteric nervous system, and intestinal permeability.
This field encompasses 79,805 papers on functional bowel disorders including irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, and gastroparesis. Research examines microbiota, enteric nervous system, intestinal permeability, probiotics, and serotonin signaling in these disorders. Growth rate over the past five years is not available.
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Pathophysiology
This sub-topic elucidates brain-gut axis dysregulation, visceral hypersensitivity, and motility abnormalities in IBS. Researchers integrate neuroimaging, manometry, and biomarker studies to define mechanisms.
Gut Microbiota in Functional Bowel Disorders
This sub-topic profiles microbial dysbiosis in IBS, constipation, and gastroparesis using metagenomics. Researchers correlate composition with symptoms and test microbiota modulation strategies.
Serotonin Signaling in Gastrointestinal Motility
This sub-topic investigates 5-HT receptor roles in enteric neurotransmission and motility disorders. Researchers study pharmacological modulation with agonists and antagonists in human and animal models.
Intestinal Permeability in Functional GI Disorders
This sub-topic measures 'leaky gut' using lactulose-mannitol tests in IBS and related conditions. Researchers link barrier dysfunction to inflammation, microbiota, and symptom severity.
Probiotics for Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders
This sub-topic evaluates specific probiotic strains for constipation, gastroparesis, and IBS via RCTs. Researchers assess transit time, microbiota changes, and symptom relief.
Why It Matters
Gastrointestinal motility disorders affect global health through high prevalence and burden, as addressed in functional bowel disorder classifications. Lozupone et al. (2012) in "Diversity, stability and resilience of the human gut microbiota" detail how microbiota diversity influences gut function, impacting conditions like irritable bowel syndrome. Round and Mazmanian (2009) in "The gut microbiota shapes intestinal immune responses during health and disease" show microbiota modulation of immune responses, relevant to inflammation in motility disorders. Nicholson et al. (2012) in "Host-Gut Microbiota Metabolic Interactions" describe microbiota regulation of host metabolic pathways via diet and lifestyle, offering therapeutic targets. Van Nood et al. (2013) in "Duodenal Infusion of Donor Feces for Recurrent Clostridium difficile" demonstrated fecal infusion superiority over vancomycin for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection, a motility-related issue, with significant clinical efficacy in trials.
Reading Guide
Where to Start
"Functional Bowel Disorders" by Longstreth et al. (2006), as it provides foundational Rome criteria definitions and classifications essential for understanding core motility disorders.
Key Papers Explained
Longstreth et al. (2006) in "Functional Bowel Disorders" establishes diagnostic criteria for irritable bowel syndrome and constipation. Lozupone et al. (2012) in "Diversity, stability and resilience of the human gut microbiota" builds by detailing microbiota diversity's role in gut stability. Round and Mazmanian (2009) in "The gut microbiota shapes intestinal immune responses during health and disease" connects immune modulation to these disorders. Nicholson et al. (2012) in "Host-Gut Microbiota Metabolic Interactions" extends to metabolic pathway regulations. Cryan et al. (2019) in "The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis" integrates brain-gut influences.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Current research emphasizes microbiota-immune and microbiota-brain interactions in functional disorders, as synthesized in high-citation reviews like Cryan et al. (2019). No recent preprints or news available indicate focus remains on established mechanisms from top papers.
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diversity, stability and resilience of the human gut microbiota | 2012 | Nature | 5.3K | ✓ |
| 2 | The gut microbiota shapes intestinal immune responses during h... | 2009 | Nature reviews. Immuno... | 4.9K | ✓ |
| 3 | Functional Bowel Disorders | 2006 | Gastroenterology | 4.7K | ✕ |
| 4 | Host-Gut Microbiota Metabolic Interactions | 2012 | Science | 4.6K | ✕ |
| 5 | Mind-altering microorganisms: the impact of the gut microbiota... | 2012 | Nature reviews. Neuros... | 4.3K | ✕ |
| 6 | The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis | 2019 | Physiological Reviews | 4.3K | ✓ |
| 7 | Gut Microbiota in Health and Disease | 2010 | Physiological Reviews | 4.0K | ✕ |
| 8 | Duodenal Infusion of Donor Feces for Recurrent <i>Clostridium ... | 2013 | New England Journal of... | 3.6K | ✓ |
| 9 | Induction of Colonic Regulatory T Cells by Indigenous <i>Clost... | 2010 | Science | 3.6K | ✓ |
| 10 | The Human Intestinal Microbiome in Health and Disease | 2016 | New England Journal of... | 3.4K | ✕ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What defines functional bowel disorders?
Functional bowel disorders include irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, and other conditions without structural abnormalities. Longstreth et al. (2006) in "Functional Bowel Disorders" provide Rome criteria classifications based on symptoms like abdominal pain and altered bowel habits. These criteria guide diagnosis and management in gastroenterology.
How does gut microbiota affect gastrointestinal motility?
Gut microbiota influences motility through interactions with the enteric nervous system and immune responses. Round and Mazmanian (2009) in "The gut microbiota shapes intestinal immune responses during health and disease" explain microbiota's role in intestinal immune modulation during health and disease states. Lozupone et al. (2012) in "Diversity, stability and resilience of the human gut microbiota" highlight microbiota diversity's stability and resilience in maintaining gut function.
What is the microbiota-gut-brain axis?
The microbiota-gut-brain axis involves bidirectional communication between gut microbes and the brain affecting behavior and motility. Cryan et al. (2019) in "The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis" note microbiota as a key regulator of gut-brain function over the past 15 years. Cryan and Dinan (2012) in "Mind-altering microorganisms: the impact of the gut microbiota on brain and behaviour" describe impacts on brain and behavior.
How do probiotics relate to motility disorders?
Probiotics target microbiota alterations in disorders like irritable bowel syndrome and constipation. Sekirov et al. (2010) in "Gut Microbiota in Health and Disease" discuss microbiota composition's susceptibility to modifications influencing health. Lynch and Pedersen (2016) in "The Human Intestinal Microbiome in Health and Disease" note correlative studies guiding clinical practice.
What treatments show efficacy for related infections?
Fecal microbiota transplantation treats recurrent Clostridium difficile infection effectively. Van Nood et al. (2013) in "Duodenal Infusion of Donor Feces for Recurrent Clostridium difficile" found donor feces infusion significantly more effective than vancomycin. This approach restores microbiota balance impacting motility.
What role does serotonin signaling play?
Serotonin signaling modulates gastrointestinal motility and is implicated in disorders like irritable bowel syndrome. Research in this cluster addresses its therapeutic potential alongside microbiota effects. Longstreth et al. (2006) in "Functional Bowel Disorders" link symptoms to such pathways.
Open Research Questions
- ? How do specific microbiota compositions directly alter enteric nervous system function in gastroparesis?
- ? What mechanisms link intestinal permeability changes to constipation prevalence?
- ? Can targeted probiotics restore serotonin signaling in irritable bowel syndrome patients?
- ? How does host genome-microbiota interplay influence functional bowel disorder epidemiology?
- ? What are the long-term effects of fecal transplantation on motility in recurrent infections?
Recent Trends
The field includes 79,805 works with no specified five-year growth rate.
High-citation papers from 2006-2019 dominate, such as Longstreth et al. "Functional Bowel Disorders" (4727 citations) and Cryan et al. (2019) "The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis" (4287 citations).
2006No recent preprints or news coverage available.
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