Gastroparesis means the stomach empties too slowly, causing nausea, vomiting, bloating, and unpredictable blood sugar in people with diabetes. It affects roughly 4% of Americans, most commonly people with long-standing diabetes, though many cases have no clear cause. Current treatment focuses on dietary changes, medications that help the stomach contract, and procedures like gastric electrical stimulation for severe cases.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing ghrelin agonists that stimulate stomach motility, new formulations of metoclopramide to reduce side effects, gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy (G-POEM) to open the stomach outlet, and devices that deliver electrical or magnetic stimulation. Researchers are also studying stem cell therapy and the role of immune dysfunction in cases without diabetes.
Ghrelin agonist drugs
Relamorelin and other drugs that mimic the hunger hormone ghrelin have shown promise in accelerating stomach emptying. These medications may offer a new option for people who don't respond to current drugs.
G-POEM procedure
Gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy cuts the muscle at the stomach outlet through an endoscope, without external incisions. Early studies suggest it helps people whose stomach empties slowly due to outlet obstruction.
Stem cell approaches
Researchers are testing whether stem cells can restore the damaged nerve cells that control stomach contractions. Small studies have shown some improvement in symptoms and gastric emptying.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on documented delayed gastric emptying on a test, severity of symptoms, whether gastroparesis is related to diabetes, and which treatments have already been tried.
What types of trials are currently open
- Drug trials — Testing medications that speed stomach emptying, including ghrelin agonists, modified versions of older drugs, and new formulations designed to reduce side effects.
- Device trials — Studies of gastric electrical stimulation devices and newer magnetic or external stimulation systems that aim to improve stomach contractions.
- Procedure trials — Testing endoscopic treatments like G-POEM and injection of botulinum toxin into the stomach outlet muscle.
- Stem cell trials — Early studies of stem cell therapy to regenerate the nerves and cells that control stomach movement.
- Natural history studies — Following people with gastroparesis over time to understand how symptoms change and what factors predict who will improve.
Recently added Gastroparesis trials
Complete ultrasound scans to measure stomach function during tube feeding
This study investigates whether the dose of vasopressor medications (drugs that maintain blood pressure in shock) affects gastric emptying during tube feeding in the intensive care unit (ICU). Critically ill patients receiving vasopressors often develop impaired gastric motility, which reduces the effectiveness of enteral nutrition and increases the risk of aspiration. Gastric emptying will be objectively measured using bedside point-of-care ultrasound - a safe, painless imaging method - at three time points: before feeding (T0), at 1 hour (T1), and at 2 hours (T2) after restarting enteral nutrition following a 2-hour fasting period. Patients will be stratified into three groups based on norepinephrine equivalent dose (NEQ): Group 1 (no vasopressor, NEQ=0), Group 2 (low-to-moderate dose, NEQ \>0 to \<0.3 μg/kg/min), and Group 3 (high dose, NEQ ≥0.3 μg/kg/min). The primary outcome is gastric emptying rate (GER = (T0 volume - T2 volume) / 2 hours). Gastroparesis is defined as GER ≤0 mL/hour. Secondary outcomes include antrum cross-sectional area, agreement between ultrasound and aspirated gastric residual volume (Bland-Altman analysis), and enteral nutrition intolerance incidence. A subgroup analysis by shock type (septic, cardiogenic, hypovolemic, obstructive) will also be performed. The study aims to identify the vasopressor dose threshold at which gastric emptying is significantly impaired, and to support the use of bedside gastric ultrasound as an objective, non-invasive monitoring tool for enteral nutrition management in the ICU.
Receive a wearable nausea-relief band to wear daily
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a wearable transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) device called EmeTerm can help reduce nausea in adults who have had nausea for 2 months or longer and who receive care at The Ohio State University. The study will also evaluate whether use of the device affects other symptoms and aspects of wellbeing, including vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, appetite, sleep, mood, stress, fatigue, quality of life, and hope. \[34\_Emeterm...rotocol\_v3 \| Word\] The main questions it aims to answer are: Does using the EmeTerm device reduce the average weekly frequency of moderate to severe nausea compared with symptoms during a baseline observation period? \[34\_Emeterm...rotocol\_v3 \| Word\] Does using the EmeTerm device reduce the duration of nausea, frequency of vomiting, and use of anti-nausea medications, and improve other gastrointestinal symptoms, wellbeing, and quality of life? \[34\_Emeterm...rotocol\_v3 \| Word\] This is a single-arm study. Participants will serve as their own comparison by comparing symptoms during device use with symptoms recorded during the baseline period before using the device. \[34\_Emeterm...rotocol\_v3 \| Word\] Participants will: Complete a screening survey and provide electronic informed consent if eligible. \[34\_Emeterm...rotocol\_v3 \| Word\] Complete baseline questionnaires and record daily gastrointestinal symptoms for a 2-week baseline period. \[34\_Emeterm...rotocol\_v3 \| Word\] Receive an EmeTerm wearable TENS device and instructions for its use. \[34\_Emeterm...rotocol\_v3 \| Word\] Use the EmeTerm device for 12 weeks while continuing to record nausea and other gastrointestinal symptoms. \[34\_Emeterm...rotocol\_v3 \| Word\] Complete weekly and monthly surveys about symptoms, stress, sleep, appetite, fatigue, quality of life, anxiety, depression, autonomic symptoms, device experience, and any adverse events.
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