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.