Impaired gastrointestinal motility in Parkinson’s disease may affect absorption of levodopa and contribute to the disabling response fluctuations (RF). In this study gastric myoelectric activity was recorded with electrogastrography in patients with PD and correlated with the duration, severity and the presence of RF.

Electrogastrography (EGG) was performed in 36 patients with PD of which 22 were men. The mean age was 67 years (48-81), mean duration of disease was 7.07 years (1-20), and mean duration of treatment with levodopa was 5.07 years (1-20). Gastric dysrrythmia was diagnosed when either preprandial or postprandial dysrrythmia for more than 30% of the recording period was detected.

The EGG was abnormal in 24 of 36 patients. Significant association was found between preprandial dysrrythmia and duration of disease (P=0.002); duration of levodopa treatment (P=0.003), severity of 86RF (P=0.001), but not with age (P=0.076). Out of 18 patients with RF, 17 had at least one pattern of dysrrythmia. In 11 out of the 18 patients without RF, the EGG was normal while the remaining seven had at least one pattern of dysrrythmia.

Abnormal EGG was quite common in this group of patients with PD, particularly in those with RF. The most common pattern of abnormality was preprandial dysrrythmia, which was positively associated with disease duration and length of levodopa treatment. Although frequently asymptomatic, preprandial dysrrythmia leading to impaired gastric emptying may contribute to irregular absorption of levodopa from the small intestine and contribute to disabling response fluctuations.