Enteric Nervous System: Neuropathic Gastrointestinal Motility—2nd Edition

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Interests: inflammatory bowel diseases; inflammation; intestinal functional disorders; animal models; gut–brain axis; obesity; patients
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Interests: inflammatory bowel disease; phytochemicals; prebiotics; probiotics; small molecules; gut–brain axis; enteric glial network; pharmacological approaches; obesity; intestinal organoids
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are thrilled to announce the release of the second volume of our Special Issue, entitled "Enteric Nervous System: Neuropathic Gastrointestinal Motility—2nd Edition". Patients with both digestive and extra-digestive diseases, including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), intestinal infections, metabolic syndromes, and neurological disorders, are often characterized by severe gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunctions, such as dysphagia, infrequent bowel movements, and constipation. In this context, several pieces of evidence suggest that gut dysbiosis, impairments of enteric epithelial barrier, and intestinal immune/inflammatory responses promote neuroplastic changes in the enteric nervous system, which could contribute to bowel motor dysfunctions.

On this basis, the purpose of this Special Issue is to characterize the involvement of the enteric bacteria–neuro–immune system in the pathophysiology of GI dysmotility associated with digestive and extra-digestive diseases. The understanding of these aspects could be useful for the identification of common pathophysiologic features underling GI dysfunctions in a plethora of diseases and for providing further insights for the development of new therapeutic strategies.

We invite you to visit the following link to access the first volume of our Special Issue.

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jcm/special_issues/enteric_nervous.

We encourage submissions of both original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Carolina Pellegrini
Dr. Vanessa D'Antongiovanni
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • gastrointestinal dysmotility
  • intestinal inflammation
  • enteric bacteria–neuro–immune network
  • brain–gut axis
  • metabolic disorders
  • neurological disorders
  • enteric neuroplasticity

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

11 pages, 1453 KiB  
Article
Surgical Management of Gastroesophageal Reflux in Neurologically Impaired Children: Fundoplication vs. Total Esophagogastric Dissociation
by Marco Di Mitri, Marzia Vastano, Annalisa Di Carmine, Enrico Oriani, Eduje Thomas, Cristian Bisanti, Simone D’Antonio, Vincenzo Davide Catania, Edoardo Collautti, Tommaso Gargano and Mario Lima
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(4), 1058; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14041058 - 7 Feb 2025
Viewed by 567
Abstract
Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a prevalent and severe condition in neurologically impaired (NI) children, often requiring surgical intervention. This study evaluates the outcomes of two surgical techniques, fundoplication and total esophagogastric dissociation (EGD), in managing GERD in this vulnerable population. Methods: [...] Read more.
Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a prevalent and severe condition in neurologically impaired (NI) children, often requiring surgical intervention. This study evaluates the outcomes of two surgical techniques, fundoplication and total esophagogastric dissociation (EGD), in managing GERD in this vulnerable population. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 56 NI children who underwent surgery for GERD at our institution from 2012 to 2023. Outcomes assessed included post-operative weight gain, pneumonia rates, hospitalization duration, and complications. Results: Of the cohort, 39 patients underwent fundoplication and 17 underwent EGD. Both groups experienced significant weight gain post-operatively, with comparable rates between procedures. Fundoplication was associated with shorter hospitalization (16 ± 10 days vs. 35 ± 16 days, p < 0.001) and earlier resumption of enteral feeding (5.5 ± 2 days vs. 10.2 ± 3 days). EGD significantly reduced pneumonia rates (70.59% to 17.65%, p = 0.006) compared to fundoplication (58.97% to 41.03%, p = 0.174). Early complication rates were higher in the EGD group (41% vs. 23%), but long-term GERD-related hospitalizations were fewer (0.8 ± 1/year vs. 3 ± 2/year, p = 0.003). Conclusions: Fundoplication offers shorter recovery times and lower early complication rates, making it suitable for many patients. However, EGD may be preferable for those with severe, refractory GERD, given its superior long-term outcomes, particularly in reducing pneumonia and hospitalizations. Prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings and refine surgical indications in NI children. Full article
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