title: Relationship of body weight with gastrointestinal motor and sensory function: studies in anorexia nervosa and obesity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Whether gastrointestinal motor and sensory function is primary cause or secondary effect of abnormal body weight is uncertain. Moreover, studies relating continuous postprandial sensations of satiation to measurable pathology are scarce. This work assessed postprandial gastrointestinal function and concurrent sensations of satiation across a wide range of body weight and after weight change.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and obesity (OB) were investigated in reference to normal weight controls (HC). AN were additionally investigated longitudinally. Gastric emptying, antral contractions and oro-cecal transit after ingestion of a solid meal were investigated by MRI and13C-lactose-ureide breath test. The dependency of self-reported sensations of satiation on the varying degree of stomach filling during gastric emptying was compared between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  24 AN (BMI 14.4 (11.9-16.0) kg/m2), 16 OB (34.9 (29.6-41.5) kg/m2) and 20 HC (21.9 (18.9-24.9) kg/m2) were studied. Gastric half-emptying time (t50) was slower in AN than HC (p = 0.016) and OB (p = 0.007), and a negative association between t50and BMI was observed between BMI 12 and 25 kg/m2(p = 0.007). Antral contractions and oro-cecal transit were not different. For any given gastric content volume, self-reported postprandial fullness was greater in AN than in HC or OB (p < 0.001). After weight rehabilitation, t50in AN tended to become shorter (p = 0.09) and postprandial fullness was less marked (p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A relationship between body weight and gastric emptying as well as self-reported feelings of satiation is present. AN have slower gastric emptying and heightened visceral perception compared to HC and OB. Longitudinal follow-up after weight rehabilitation in AN suggests these abnormalities are not a primary feature, but secondary to other factors that determine abnormal body weight.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Registered July 20, 2009 at ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT00946816 ).
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, CH-8091, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bluemel
authors.affiliation: Menne Biomed Consulting, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Menne
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Department, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Milos
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, CH-8091, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Goetze
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, CH-8091, Zurich, Switzerland.|Zurich Centre for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fried
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, CH-8091, Zurich, Switzerland.|Zurich Centre for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schwizer
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, CH-8091, Zurich, Switzerland.|Zurich Centre for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, CH-8091, Zurich, Switzerland. steingoetter@biomed.ee.ethz.ch.|Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. steingoetter@biomed.ee.ethz.ch.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steingoetter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004063:Digestion / Q000502:physiology*; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019518:Postprandial Period / Q000502:physiology; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anorexia Nervosa; Gastric emptying; Gastrointestinal transit; Obesity; Visceral sensations