Prucalopride Versus Placebo in Functional Dyspepsia With Delayed Gastric Emptying

To assess the influence of prucalopride (Resolor®) 2mg daily, 30 patients with idiopathic and 30 patients with diabetic gastroparesis will undergo two gastric emptying breath tests with concomitant assessment of meal-related symptoms, at the conclusion of two consecutive, 4-week treatment periods of prucalopride or placebo. The order of prucalopride and placebo treatment will be randomised at the initiation of the study. Medication for both patient groups, 30 patients with idiopathic and 30 patients with diabetic gastroparesis, will be randomized separately. Half of the subjects will receive placebo first; the other half will receive prucalopride first. Treatment periods will be separated by a wash-out period of 2 weeks. All drugs potentially affecting gastrointestinal motility or sensitivity will be discontinued at least two weeks prior to the initiation of the study. Informed consent will be obtained from each participant.

In order to establish the gastrointestinal symptom and quality-of-life profile of this cohort, each patient will complete the following validated self-reported instruments at baseline and at each of the two testing visits (table 1): Patients assessment of Gastrointestinal symptoms (PAGISYM), Patients assessment of Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Impact (PAGIQoL) Gastrointestinal and Global Severity Score, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-15), Appetite Questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Visceral Sensitivity Index, Short Form Nepean Dyspepsia Index (SF-NDI). The PAGI-SYM is a comprehensive questionnaire of upper GI symptoms, and it includes a gastroparesis questionnaire module: the Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index (GCSI), which has been validated in (idiopathic) gastroparesis.26 Furthermore, during the entire study duration patients will complete a daily symptom diary, incorporating a separate horizontal 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS) for each of 9 upper abdominal symptoms. As prucalopride has a well-known therapeutic effect in chronic constipation, patients will also register information about their stool frequency and stool type in the daily diary (Bristol Stool Scale).