Abnormal intestinal feedback in disorders of gastric emptying.

Many patients who complain of postprandial bloating discomfort and episodic nausea and vomiting exhibit abnormally slow gastric emptying of a standard meal during scintigraphic study. Nevertheless, on clinical grounds, the group of slow emptiers would appear to be comprised of two types of patients: (1) those with primary motor dysfunction (pump failure) and (2) those who have normal muscle performance but abnormally intense inhibition of gastric emptying by nutrients in small intestine (too much feedback). Our studies suggest that these two groups may be distinguished by varying the nutrient content in the test meal during multiple studies of gastric emptying.