NeuroGASTRO 2021
Biennial Meeting of the European Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility
September 2nd to 4th, 2021 - Crowne Plaza Bucharest, Romania
Scientific content
This year’s meeting of the European Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility – NeuroGASTRO 2025 – once again offers a mix of basic, translational, and clinical science sessions.
Postgraduate Course - Advances in Clinical Measurement and Management of GI Motility & Function
The Postgraduate Course is based on the latest advances in Clinical Measurement and Management of GI Motility & Function and will provide an essential update on the clinical aspects of Neurogastroenterology and Motility. During this half-day course renowned experts will provide practice-oriented comprehensive overviews, covering pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of GI motility and functional disorders.
Plenary Sessions
There are two plenary sessions, in the first and second days of the meeting. The invited lectures in these sessions last 22 minutes, including discussion. In addition, one or two top-ranked abstracts that fit in the theme of the session will be presented orally. The time allotted for oral presentations is 15 minutes, including questions.
Parallel Symposia
There are simultaneous, parallel symposia with basic science, translational or clinical themes. Most parallel sessions last 90 minutes and comprise two invited lectures (22 minutes) and three selected abstract presentations (15 minutes each).
Poster Sessions
Accepted Posters will be exhibited during NeuroGastro 2025 and will be grouped into areas of research. The poster exhibition offers an exciting interactive forum for the exchange of information, and a networking platform to communicate new ideas, research and programmes.
Industry-Sponsored Sessions
The industry sponsored sessions are organised by the industry and are not affiliated with ESNM.
Thursday, September 4th
08.30 - 10.30
POSTGRADUATE COURSE - SESSION 1
ADVANCES IN CLINICAL MEASUREMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF GI MOTILITY & FUNCTION
Chairs: Asma Fikree, Chloé Melchior
| 8.30 | Functional abdominal bloating and distension (Fernando Azpiroz) |
| 9.00 | Chronic nausea vomiting syndrome (Gehanjali Amarasinghe) |
| 9.30 | Faecal incontinence (Ugo Grossi) |
| 10.00 | Oesophageal endoscopic interventions in neurogastro (Rami Sweis) |
| 10.30 | Coffee Break |
11.00 - 12.30
POSTGRADUATE COURSE - SESSION 2
ADVANCES IN CLINICAL MEASUREMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF GI MOTILITY & FUNCTION
Chairs: Asma Fikree, Chloé Melchior
| 11.00 | Refractory GERD (Frank Zerbib) |
| 11.30 | Neuromodulators and pain in DGBI (Hans Törnblom) |
| 12.00 | The ‘brain’ in disorders of gut brain interaction (Sigrid Elsenbruch) |
12.45 - 13.20
INDUSTRY SYMPOSIUM
13.15 - 14.00
Poster Session
14.00 - 15.30
Plenary Session 1
Chairs: Frank Zerbib, Daniel Pohl, Qasim Aziz, Gerard Clarke
| 14.00 | Welcome address (Frank Zerbib, Daniel Pohl, Qasim Aziz, Gerard Clarke) |
| 14.30 | Nutrition, the Gut Microbiome and the Future of Healthcare: Time to Make it Personal (Sarah Berry) |
| 14.52 | Liquid Nutrient Drink Testing Induces Gastric Dysrhythmias that Correlate with Dyspeptic Symptoms (Stefan Calder) |
| 15.07 | Lifetime achievement award - Laudatum (Jordi Serra) |
| 15.17 | Lifetime achievement awardee talk (Fernando Aspiroz) |
| 15.30 | Coffee Break & Poster Viewing |
16.00 - 17.30
SYMPOSIA 1 / 2 / 3
SYMPOSIUM 1 - NAUSEA – PATHWAYS FOR PROGRESS
Chairs: Carolina Malagelada, Paul L.R. Andrews
| 16.00 | The UEG guidelines for nausea and vomiting (Carolina Malagelada) |
| 16.22 | Towards the perfect anti-emetic: what have we learned from the pharmacological treatment of vomiting and nausea? (Gareth Sanger) |
| 16.44 | How does gastric electrical stimulation influence nausea? (Kenneth L. Koch) |
| 17.06 | GLP-1, nausea and weight loss: are common mechanisms involved? (John Anthony Rudd) |
18.00 - 19.30
WELCOME RECEPTION
| 18.00 - 18.05 | Welcome Reception Introduction (Frank Zerbib, Qasim Aziz) |
| 18.05 - 19.30 | Welcome Reception |
16.00 - 17.30
SYMPOSIA 1 / 2 / 3
SYMPOSIUM 2 - SEX DIFFERENCES IN NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY AND MOTILITY
Chairs: Serhat Bor, Madusha Peiris
| 16.00 | Sex- and gender-related differences in the epidemiology and symptoms of disorders of gut-brain interaction (Agata Mulak) |
| 16.22 | Role of sex hormones in the modulation of gastrointestinal function (Leslie Houghton) |
| 16.44 | Gender-dependent central and gut dysfunction in cuprizone-induced demyelination model (Sofia Faggin) |
| 16.59 | The Prevalence and Burden of Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI) before versus after the COVID-19 Pandemic (Imran Aziz) |
| 17.14 | Experience Sampling Method unravels dynamic triggers of abdominal pain in irritable bowel syndrome – results from a Multicenter European Study (Bosman Michelle) |
16.00 - 17.30
SYMPOSIA 1 / 2 / 3
SYMPOSIUM 3 - SPOTLIGHT ON THE ENTERIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND NEUROIMMUNE DYSFUNCTION
Chairs: Christina Brock, Giovanni Marasco
| 16.00 | Proteinopathies of the enteric nervous system (Michel Neunlist) |
| 16.22 | Genetic mechanisms leading to enteric neuropathies (Elena Bonora) |
| 16.44 | Cannabinoid and opioid systems in visceral sensation and pain modulation (Raquel Abalo) |
| 17.06 | Neuroimmune interactions in disorders of gut-brain interaction (Tim Vanuytsel) |
Friday, September 5th
09.00 - 10.30
PLENARY SESSION 2
Chairs: Daniel Pohl, Maura Corsetti
| 09.00 | Irritable bowel syndrome, somatic and mental health comorbidity: Enhanced Understanding Through DISCOvERIE (Javier Santos) |
| 09.22 | Proteases in gut physiology, pathophysiology and treatment: Can Old Dogs Learn New Tricks? (Nathalie Vergnolle) |
| 09.44 | Complex innervated intestinal organoids from mice and human: a promising model for studying gastrointestinal diseases linked to neurodegeneration (Saha Tultul) |
| 09.59 | Microbiota-derived lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) drive visceral hypersensitivity through transient receptor potential canonical 5 and lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 and 3 pathways (Julien Pujo) |
| 10.14 | The Mediterranean Diet for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (Imran Aziz) |
| 10.30 | Coffee Break & Poster Viewing |
11.00 - 12.30
SYMPOSIA 4 / 5 / 6
SYMPOSIUM 4 - GUT MICROBIOTA FOR HEALTH
Chairs: Giovanni Barbara, Mireia Valles Colomer
| 11.00 | Gut microbiota succession in infant physiological development: priming for gut and brain health (Cristina Campoy) |
| 11.22 | Factors Shaping the Gut Microbiome in Health and Disease: Focus on Diagnostic and Therapeutic Opportunities (Aonghus Lavelle) |
| 11.44 | Gut Microbiome and ageing: should we turn back the clock (Silvia Turroni) |
| 12.06 | Host-Microbiome Interactions in Child Undernutrition (Ruari Robertson) |
12.30 - 14.00
Lunch Break
12.45 - 13.20
INDUSTRY SYMPOSIUM
13.15 - 14.00
Poster Session
14.00 - 15.30
SYMPOSIA 7 / 8 / 9
SYMPOSIUM 7 - THE SCIENTIFIC LEGACY OF PROFESSOR DAVID WINGATE – A FOUNDING FATHER OF NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY AND MOTILITY
Chairs: Qasim Aziz, Mark Scott
| 14.00 | Overview of David’s contribution to the field of neurogastroenterology and motility (Charles Knowles) |
| 14.22 | High-resolution small bowel manometry: state-of-the-art (Carolina Malagelada) |
| 14.44 | Telemetric capsule measurement of gut motility: where are we now? (Mark Scott) |
| 15.06 | Measurement of colonic motility: from intraluminal to extracorporeal (Gregory O’Grady) |
| 15.30 | Coffee Break & Poster Viewing |
16.00 - 17.30
SYMPOSIA 10 /11 / 12
SYMPOSIUM 10 - CONTROL OF APPETITE AND METABOLISM
Chairs: David Bulmer, Simon Lal
| 16.00 | The role of gut hormones in metabolic regulation (Fiona Gribble) |
| 16.22 | hronodisruption, metabolic and gastrointestinal homeostasis (Inge Depoortere) |
| 16.44 | Host-Microbe Interactions in Metabolic Dysfunction: What are the Mechanisms? (Yolanda Sanz) |
| 17.06 | Can we use nutrients to manipulate satiety hormones to treat obesity? (Madusha Peiris) |
18.00 - 18.30
INDUSTRY SYMPOSIUM
11.00 - 12.30
SYMPOSIA 4 / 5 / 6
SYMPOSIUM 5 - SHAPING OUR FUTURE: LEARNING FROM THE BEST RESEARCH PAPERS PUBLISHED IN THE NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY & MOTILITY JOURNAL 2024 AND EARLY CAREER RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Chairs: Kristin Elfers, Chloé Melchior
| 11.00 | Best basic science – Decreases in mucosally-evoked tachykinin signaling pathways can explain age-related reductions in murine colonic motility patterns (Mark Yeoman) |
| 11.10 | Best clinical paper – Diagnostic classification systems for disorders of gut-brain interaction should include psychological symptoms (Mike Jones) |
| 11.20 | Best Translational paper – Mechanisms involved in the muscle relaxing effects of STW 5 in guinea pig stomach (Anita Annahazi) |
| 11.30 | The impact of social media activities in shaping Neurogastroenterology & Motility metrics (Rajan Singh) |
| 11.42 | Best of little brain big brain (LBBB) (Friederike Uhlig) |
| 11.54 | Update from TANDEM winning project 2023 (Lukas Balsiger, Ariadna Aguilar Cyuelas) |
| 12.06 | Winner TANDEM 2025 |
| 12.18 | Introduction to young ESNM (yESNM) (Giovanni Marasco) |
14.00 - 15.30
SYMPOSIA 7 / 8 / 9
SYMPOSIUM 8 - WHAT IS NEW IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF LOWER GI DISORDERS
Chairs: Ram Dickman, Artemis Trikola
| 14.00 | Chronic Constipation: Update on treatment, assessment and diagnosis (Maura Corsetti) |
| 14.22 | What is new in the diagnosis and treatment of Chronic Diarrhoea? (Christopher Black) |
| 14.44 | Psyllium delays colonic fermentation of inulin as assessed by a novel gas sensing capsule (Joshua Reid) |
| 14.59 | Trends of Colectomy for Chronic Constipation: A Nationwide Population-Based Study in Korea (Ju Oh Shin) |
| 15.14 | Unraveling GI Symptoms in Hypermobility Ehlers–Danlos syndrome: A Functional and Structural Diagnostic Perspective (Roni Levin) |
| 15.30 | Coffee Break & Poster Viewing |
16.00 - 17.30
SYMPOSIA 10 / 11 / 12
SYMPOSIUM 11 - VISCERAL PAIN; THE GUT MICROBIOME AND ENDOMETRIOSIS
Chairs: Jiří Dolina, Michel Neunlist
| 16.00 | Mechanisms of visceral pain (Asbjørn M Drewes) |
| 16.22 | Challenges in the diagnosis and clinical management of endometriosis (Lucy Whitaker) |
| 16.44 | The Isala Citizen-Science Project: what is the role of the vaginal microbiota in women’s health? (Sarah Ahannach) |
| 17.06 | Will the microbiome be a new therapy for endometriosis? (Siobhain O’Mahony) |
07.30 - 09.00
BREAKFAST SYMPOSIUM
ASCONA WORKING GROUP: Diagnostic Testing of Gastrointestinal Function – State of Art 2025
Chairs: Asma Fikree, Jan Martinek
| 07.30 | Introduction to the Ascona Working Group (Asma Fikree) |
| 07.35 | Challenge: Variation in Gastrointestinal Testing (Sebastien Kindt) |
| 07.45 | How the stomach works: insights from barostat, manometry and imaging (Carolina Malagelada) |
| 08.00 | How the stomach feels: insights from physiological tests and neural imaging (Asbjørn Drewes) |
| 08.15 | Debate: Tests of gastric emptying are essential for diagnosis and guiding treatment (Jutta Keller) |
| 08.40 | Moderated Discussion: Putting it all together: can we classify the causes of dyspeptic symptoms? (Mark Fox) |
11.00 - 12.30
SYMPOSIA 4 / 5 / 6
SYMPOSIUM 6 - JOINT ESNM/BSPHAN SYMPOSIUM ON PEDIATRIC MOTILITY
Chairs: Mutalib Mohamed , Maura Corsetti
| 11.00 | Gastrointestinal Dystonia, a new motility disorder in children with severe neurodisability (Andrew Barclay) |
| 11.22 | EndoFLIP in paediatric foregut assessment (Mutalib Mohamed) |
| 11.44 | Time to consider esophageal atresia as life-long disease (Frederic Gottrand) |
| 12.06 | Pediatric Pseudo-obstruction Syndrome (Osvaldo Borrelli) |
14.00 - 15.30
SYMPOSIA 7 / 8 / 9
SYMPOSIUM 9 - BARRIER DYSFUNCTION IN NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY
Chairs: Ricard Farre, Luis Gerardo Alcala Gonzalez
| 14.00 | Intestinal barrier dysfunction and the gut-brain axis (Maria Raffaella Barbaro) |
| 14.22 | Brain barrier dysfunction and the gut-brain axis (Maria Aburto) |
| 14.44 | Glucocorticoid endogenous production by the enteric nervous system increases neuronal connectivity which is inhibited by inflammation in a GR-dependent manner (Justine Blin) |
| 14.59 | Local treatment with budesonide improves intestinal immune activation, permeability, and sensitivity in a validated model for disorders of gut-brain interaction (Pauline Huighe) |
| 15.14 | Role of the gut microbiome and gastrointestinal disorders in autism spectrum disorder (Michel Neunlist) |
| 15.30 | Coffee Break & Poster Viewing |
16.00 - 17.30
SYMPOSIA 10 / 11 / 12
SYMPOSIUM 12 - OESOPHAGEAL MOTOR DISORDERS
Chairs: Jutta Keller, Daniel Pohl
| 16.00 | High resolution esophageal manometry: Current and future reference methods (Daniel Sifrim) |
| 16.22 | EndoFLIP in the Endoscopy Suite: Does it really make a difference? (Jan Martinek) |
| 16.44 | EndoFLIP in the Endoscopy Suite: Does it really make a difference? (Jan Martinek) |
| 16.59 | Assessment of Esophageal Emptying in Patients with Dysphagia: Differences Between High-Resolution Impedance Manometry and Timed Barium Esophagram (Daniel Cohen) |
| 17.14 | Esophageal Motility Disorders Among Elderly Patients: An International Multicenter Study (Amir Mari) |
Saturday, September 6th
09.00 - 10.30
SYMPOSIA 13 / 14 / 15
SYMPOSIUM 13 - ROME FOUNDATION SYMPOSIUM
Chairs: Jan Tack, Magnus Simren
| 09.00 | Update on Rome Foundation activities in 2025 (Jan Tack) |
| 09.22 | Impact of COVID and other GI infections on DGBI prevalence and severity (Giovanni Marasco) |
| 09.44 | Rome Foundation and neurogastroenterology and motility societies consensus on idiopathic gastroparesis (Florencia Carbone) |
| 10.06 | DGBI symptoms in subjects with organic disease (Tom Van Gils) |
| 10.30 | Coffee Break & Poster Viewing |
11.00 - 12.30
SYMPOSIA 16 / 17 / 18
SYMPOSIUM 16 - CHRONIC GASTRO-INTESTINAL DYSFUNCTION IN SYSTEMATIC DISORDERS AND BEYOND
Chairs: Ismail Kalkan, Luis Novais
| 11.00 | IBS: A gut-specific condition with extraintestinal comorbidity or a multisystemic disorder with GI dysfunction? (Magnus Simren) |
| 11.22 | The role of the microbiome-gut-brain-axis in Parkinson’s disease (Francois Cossais) |
| 11.44 | Gastrointestinal manifestations of rheumatological diseases (Jordi Serra) |
| 12.06 | What the gastroenterologist should know about EDS, POTS and Mast cell activation disorders (Andrea Shin) |
12.30 - 14.00
Lunch Break
12.45 - 13.20
INDUSTRY SYMPOSIUM
13.15 - 14.00
Poster Session
14.00 - 15.30
SYMPOSIA 19 / 20 / 21
SYMPOSIUM 19 - JOINT ESNM / ISAPP SYMPOSIUM – IS GUT HEALTH A MEANINGFUL CONCEPT IN NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY?
Chairs: Gerard Clarke, Eamonn Quigley
| 14.00 | Defining Gut Health: from fundamental principles to application in Clinical Practice (Eamonn Quigley) |
| 14.22 | Dietary Considerations in the Design, Conduct and Reporting of Trials to Assess Gut Health (Genelle Lunken) |
| 14.44 | Neural Representations of Gut Health: From Sweetest Friends to Broken Thoughts (Lukas Van Oudenhove) |
| 15.06 | The Latest Science in Biotics for Gut Health (Karen Scott) |
15.40 - 16.30
CLOSING CEREMONY & ABSTRACT AWARDS
08.00 - 09.00
BREAKFAST SYMPOSIUM: UEG/ESNM GUIDELINES FOR DYSPHAGIA
Chairs: Edoardo Savarino, Ehab Abufarhaneh
| 08.00 | Dysphagia Guidelines: From Formulation to Recommendations (Andrea Pasta) |
| 08.15 | The Implementation of the Dysphagia Guidelines in Diagnostic Approaches – a Case-Based Discussion (Amir Mari) |
| 08.30 | Therapeutic Approaches to Dysphagia: Algorithms from the Guidelines (Edoardo Savarino) |
| 08.45 | Discussion |
09.00 - 10.30
SYMPOSIA 13 / 14 / 15
SYMPOSIUM 14 - WHAT IS NEW IN THE TREATMENT AND DIAGNOSIS OF UPPER GI DISORDERS?
Chairs: Lukas Balsiger, Marek Waluga
| 09.00 | What is new in the Treatment and Diagnosis of Eosinophilic Esophagitis (Pierfrancesco Visaggi) |
| 09.22 | What is new in the Treatment and Diagnosis of Functional Heartburn (Frank Zerbib) |
| 09.44 | What is new in the Treatment and Diagnosis of Gastroparesis and Functional dyspepsia (Jan Tack) |
| 10.06 | What is new in the Treatment and Diagnosis of GERD (Edoardo Savarino) |
| 10.30 | Coffee Break & Poster Viewing |
11.00 - 12.30
SYMPOSIA 16 / 17 / 18
SYMPOSIUM 17 - JOINT ESNM/BDA SYMPOSIUM – THE ROLE OF DIET IN NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY AND MOTILITY
Chairs: Gerard Clarke, Yvonne Jeanes
| 11.00 | Dietary Guidelines for Constipation: Considerations, challenges, and solutions (Eirini Dimidi) |
| 11.22 | Challenges in initiating and adhering to dietary changes in DGBI (Sanna Nybacka) |
| 11.44 | Host and Microbial Genetic Factors factors linked to efficacy of dietary restriction in DGBI (Mauro D’Amato) |
| 12.06 | Gut neuroimmune reactions to food in IBS pathophysiology: new concepts and therapeutic options (Guy E. Boeckxstaens) |
14.00 - 15.30
SYMPOSIA 19 / 20 / 21
SYMPOSIUM 20 - NEW TECHNOLOGIES; MACHINE LEARNING AND AI
Chairs: Heithem Soliman, Goran Hauser
| 14.00 | Novel methods for assessment of gastroduodenal function (Asma Fikree) |
| 14.22 | The Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders: What Does the Future Hold? (Braden Kuo) |
| 14.44 | Where are we now? AI, imaging techniques and the diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases (Catharina Sophia de Jonge) |
| 15.06 | Gut-Brain Axis on Chip: Combining Human Intestinal Organoids, Vagal Neurons and Brains for a deeper understanding of gut-brain communication (Karensa Broersen) |
09.00 - 10.30
SYMPOSIA 13 / 14 / 15
SYMPOSIUM 15 - GUT MICROBIOME AND GUT BRAIN DISORDERS
Chairs: Javier Santos, Sigrid Elsenbruch
| 09.00 | Neuroactive potential of the gut microbiome 2.0 (Mireia Valles-Colomer) |
| 09.22 | Gut microbiome and aggression (Omry Koren |
| 09.44 | Study on the role of intestinal muscularis macrophages in diabetic neurodegeneration (Marte Vendeput) |
| 09.59 | Short term effects of an elimination diet and a healthy diet on the gut microbiome in children with Attention- Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: the TRACE study (Mirjam Bloemendaal) |
| 10.14 | Acute and short-time effects of Aβ1-42 on the enteric nervous system and the gut (Manuela Gries) |
| 10.30 | Coffee Break & Poster Viewing |
11.00 - 12.30
SYMPOSIA 16 / 17 / 18
SYMPOSIUM 18 - CONTROVERSIES IN NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY AND MOTILITY (TANDEM TALKS)
Chairs: Jan Tack, Vasile Drug
| 11.00 | Gastroparesis is a sensory disorder/Gastroparesis is a motility disorder (Daniel Keszthelyi, Jutta Keller) |
| 11.30 | FMT in IBS: works wonders! / no, not doing that! (Magda El-Salhy, Giovanni Barbara) |
| 12.00 | Direct-to-consumer microbiome tests are meaningless/Clinical microbiome testing is the way of the future (TBD, Gianluca Ianiro) |
14.00 - 15.30
SYMPOSIA 19 / 20 / 21
SYMPOSIUM 21 - HOW CAN WE OPTIMISE CARE FOR OUR PATIENTS?
Chairs: Emma Gee, Qasim Aziz
| 14.00 | Setting up a multidisciplinary team neurogastro clinic (TANDEM Talk) (Peter Paine, Emma Gee) |
| 14.22 | Pediatric to adult transition care in neurogastro-enterology and motility (Natalia Zarate-Lopez) |
| 14.44 | Brain-Gut Behavioral Treatments (Dipesh Vasant) |
| 15.06 | Prescribing Lifestyle and Dietary Changes in DGBI (Stine Störsrud) |