Abstract

The action of metoclopramide on gastroduodenal motility was studied in 23 subjects: eight symptomless volunteers and 15 patients with varying upper abdominal conditions. The response depended on the basal contraction pattern before the drug was given, irrespective of the clinical diagnosis. The size of the antral contractions was consistently increased and the duodenal contractions became more closely linked to those of the antrum. This demonstrates a mechanism for the increased rate of gastric emptying that is observed clinically after metoclopramide.