Electrogastrographyc activity in Parkinson's disease patients with and without motor fluctuations

Background: Gastroenteric dysfunctions are very common in Parkinson's disease, but their relationship with dopaminergic response and motor fluctuations is still unclear. Electrogastrography is a noninvasive method for measuring gastric myoelectrical activity. Methods: We evaluated the effects of levodopa intake on the motility of empty stomachs in Parkinson's disease patients with and without motor fluctuations. Results: The electrogastrography findings showed a normal pattern not influenced by levodopa intake, unrelated to plasmatic levodopa concentrations and to clinical parameters. Conclusions: Our results suggest that at rest gastric activity of Parkinson's disease patients is normal and plasmatic levodopa variability is not influenced by gastric motility. © 2011 Movement Disorder Society