Effects of esophageal stimulation in patients with functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract

The esophagus in patients with diabetic neuropathy and with non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP) was stimulated through brief electrical pulses and recording the responses in the form of cortical evoked potentials (EPs) and PS/HRV. An odd-ball paradigm was set up to generate cognitive responses on the scalp, generally called P300 evoked potentials. The results suggest that patients with NCCP have a diminished perception threshold and the increased perception results in an exaggerated brainstem response and altered cortical processing of visceral sensations. The patients also showed an increased vagal power.