Autonomic Nervous System Dysfunction and the Gastrointestinal Tract

The autonomic nervous system intricately controls the major functions of the gastrointestinal tract (motor, fluid and electrolyte transport, secretory, storage, and excretory functions) through the extrinsic neural supply and the enteric nervous system. Disorders of the nervous system affecting gastrointestinal tract function are manifested primarily as abnormalities in motor (rather than absorptive or secretory) functions of digestive processes, though there are exceptions, such as the loss of α2-adrenergic neurons in diabetic autonomic neuropathy resulting in intestinal fluid secretion.