title: Prolonged manometric investigation of the colon in research on chronic constipation.
abstract: We studied the whole colonic motility for 24 hours in controls and in constipated patients. In the patient group we found a significant reduction in the colonic mass movements (6.1 +/- 0.9 vs 2.6 +/- 0.7 controls vs patients, respectively). The constipated patients showed a reduction of the colonic motor activity after the ingestion of a standard meal. Moreover, they showed, compared with controls, a significant reduction of postprandial mass movements. On the other hand we were not able to find the so-called rectal motor complex described by others. In conclusion, we believe that prolonged colonic manometry would become an important step when evaluating the pathophysiology of constipated patients, particularly of those not responding to standard treatment.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di Motilità Intestinale, Università di Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bassotti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Betti
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Erbella
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cavalletti
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morelli
mesh_terms: D003106:Colon / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003248:Constipation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003672:Defecation / Q000502:physiology; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000502:physiology; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008365:Manometry / Q000379:methods; D016065:Myoelectric Complex, Migrating / Q000502:physiology; D012007:Rectum / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors