Conscious perception of gut activity.

Regional disturbances of motility in the gastrointestinal tract have been proposed as likely pathogenetic mechanisms for a number of functional gut diseases. However, not all patients with functional gut symptoms exhibit detectable dysmotility. Some investigators have therefore postulated that visceral hypersensitivity to regional luminal stimuli underlies symptoms. The results of emerging research suggest that a pathogenic role of visceral hypersensitivity in functional gut disorders is plausible but that the issue is extremely complex, in view of the interactions between neural control of gut motility, conscious perception of gut signals, and modulation at spinal and brain centers.