Understanding how the brain and nerves affect gastroparesis symptoms
Official title: New England Gastropareis Consortium: Neurobiology of Gastroparesis
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11159453 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will look at biological and psychological causes of chronic gastroparesis and try a cognitive behavioral therapy approach to help people with ongoing nausea, vomiting, fullness, and pain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 25, 2016 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $420,000 |
| NIH project number | 5U01DK112193-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11159453 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with chronic gastroparesis who experience symptoms like nausea, vomiting, early satiety, fullness, or abdominal pain and who can attend visits at participating centers would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People whose symptoms are caused by a mechanical blockage, those with very recent/acute onset without chronic disease, or those unable to take part in clinic visits or behavioral therapy may not receive benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You would join a New England network that enrolls people with gastroparesis into a shared registry and several multi-center projects. Clinic visits include medical history, symptom questionnaires, and may include biological samples or tests that look at gut and nervous system function. The team will profile psychological and social factors such as anxiety and behavior alongside nerve and brain changes to understand what keeps symptoms going. The site will also pilot a cognitive behavioral therapy program to see if addressing thoughts and behaviors can reduce symptoms and improve daily life.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to new treatments—including behavioral therapy—that reduce nausea, vomiting, pain, and improve quality of life for people with gastroparesis.
How similar studies have gone: Behavioral therapies have helped related functional gastrointestinal disorders, but applying cognitive behavioral therapy specifically to gastroparesis is relatively new and mostly supported by early/pilot data.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Burton Murray, Helen — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Burton Murray, Helen
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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New England Gastroparesis Consortium: Neurobiology of Gastroparesis
A national project to learn about gastroparesis in children and adults by creating a registry and gathering information from patients to understand symptoms, quality of life, and disease progression.
-
Pediatric and Young Adult Gastroparesis Registry and Disease Course
This project follows children, teens, and young adults with symptoms of gastroparesis to learn how their symptoms change over time and what factors are tied to different disease patterns.
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Pediatric gastroparesis: building a nationwide patient registry
This grant funds a national registry to study gastroparesis and similar tummy problems in children and teens, with the goal of better understanding how the condition affects their daily lives.
-
Gut-resident macrophages and gastric function in gastroparesis
A study in people with gastroparesis to understand how gut macrophages affect stomach movement and gut barrier health, with the hope of finding new ways to treat the condition.
-
Gastric electrical stimulation for stomach pain in gastroparesis
A new approach tests how adjusting a stomach-stimulating implant may reduce pain for people with gastroparesis.
-
Peptide therapies for gastroparesis in diabetes
A new peptide-based treatment is being tested to help people with gastroparesis linked to diabetes by improving stomach emptying and reducing inflammation.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.