Gastric, small bowel and colonic motility and breath-testing

The organs of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are responsible for digestion, absorption and excretion of ingested food and drink. From ingestion to excretion, movement of luminal contents is regulated by the enteric and central nervous systems, which stimulate contractions of the smooth muscle of the stomach, small intestine and colon. Dysfunction of GI motility can relate to pathology of these neural complexes or changes to the smooth muscle, or appear idiopathic. When dysmotility occurs, individuals can experience a diverse array of symptoms including abdominal symptoms, change in bowel habit and serious consequences such as malnutrition and intestinal failure.