Address of Corresponding Author

Digestion 2005;71:187-191 (DOI: 10.1159/000086143)

  Key Words

• Electrogastrography
• Parkinson's disease
• Gastric myoelectrical activity

  Abstract

Background/Aims: Parkinson's disease (PD) may be associated with various gastrointestinal symptoms. This study was designed to assess the gastric myoelectrical functioning in patients with PD and in healthy controls by using electrogastrography (EGG) with the water load test and to determine the clinical utility of EGG in differentiating PD patients with or without upper gastrointestinal symptoms. Methods: Twenty patients (13 men, mean age 63 years) with PD and 11 healthy controls (5 men, mean age 55 years) were studied. The PD patients were stratified into two subgroups: 9 were assessed as PD without upper gastrointestinal symptoms (group A) and 11 as PD with upper gastrointestinal symptoms (group B). The gastric myoelectrical activity was assessed using cutaneous electrodes to record EGG before and after the subjects ingested water until full. Results: The PD patients drank significantly less water until full as compared with the controls (303 ± 45 vs. 627 ± 67 ml, p < 0.05). At baseline, the PD patients had a significantly higher 1.0- to 2.5-cpm activity as compared with the controls (44 ± 3 vs. 33 ± 3%, p < 0.05). These differences persisted after ingestion of the water load. The PD patients had a significantly lower 2.5- to 3.75-cpm activity late after ingestion of the water load as compared with the controls (33 ± 4 vs. 49 ± 5%, p < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were found in any EGG variables or the water load between the two groups of PD patients. Conclusions: This study has shown that the gastric myoelectrical activity is impaired in both groups of PD patients. EGG appears to have a limited, if any, clinical utility in the differentiation of PD patients with or without upper gastrointestinal symptoms.

Copyright © 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Chien-Lin Chen, MD
Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, University School of Medicine
707, Sect. 3, Chung-Yang Road
Hualien 970 (Taiwan)
Tel. +886 3 8561825, Fax +886 3 8577161, E-Mail clchen@tzuchi.org.tw

  Article Information

Received: July 13, 2004
Accepted: February 3, 2005
Published online: May 31, 2005
Number of Print Pages : 5
Number of Figures : 2, Number of Tables : 0, Number of References : 20