Over 290 members - clinicians and basic scientists

The German Society for Neurogastroenterology and Motility e.V. (DGNM) was founded in 1981 as the "Working Group Gastrointestinal Motility" by Martin Wienbeck (1936 - 2005), then at the University Hospital Düsseldorf, and Gerd Lux, then at the University Hospital Erlangen. The founding impulse came from the 8th International Gastrointestinal Motility Meeting, which Martin Wienbeck had organised in Königstein/Taunus in 1981.

Both Martin Wienbeck (later in Augsburg) and Gerhard Lux (later in Solingen) led the working group until 1988, followed by Joachim F. Erckenbrecht (Düsseldorf) and Stefan Müller-Lissner (Munich, later Berlin). A change in the statutes in 1993 was followed by rotating changes of the board and constant financial management by Paul Enck (Düsseldorf, later Tübingen) as secretary. In 2018, Miriam Goebel-Stengel (Berlin, Tübingen) succeeded to the position of treasurer. Important foundations of the Society are the regular annual academic working conferences, held for many years in Tutzing, later in Hohenkammer and currently alternating between Freising and Berlin.
In 1999, the "Working Group for Gastrointestinal Motility" became first the "Working Group for Neurogastroenterology and Motility" and in 2002 the "German Society for Neurogastroenterology and Motility", which today has about 290 members, clinicians as well as basic scientists. In the German Society for Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS), the field of neurogastroenterology is now also established as the working group "Neurogastroenterology and Motility" and the working group "Psychosomatics in Gastroenterology".
In 2015, the DGNM founded the patient information forum MAGDA. Here, experts from the DGNM provide information on functional gastrointestinal diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome or food intolerances.

The main research focus of the society is neurogastroenterology, a field that deals with the innervation and regulation of the gastrointestinal tract and its functions. Dysfunctions of the enteric nervous system and the connection between microbiome, gut and brain (microbiome-gut-brain axis) can affect the gastrointestinal tract. Typical neurogastroenterological disease patterns are dysphagia, irritable stomach syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome or chronic abdominal pain. These clinical presentations are multifactorial and require interdisciplinary dignosis and treatment; therefore, psychosomatics also plays an important role in the DGNM.

Prof. Dr. Dipl. Psych. Paul Enck

The board of the German Society for Neurogastroenterology and Motility (DGNM) surprised its board member Professor Paul Enck with a special highlight during the 22nd annual meeting in Freising in February 2015:
In recognition of his achievements in science and in promoting young scientists for three decades as well as his work as treasurer for the association for two decades, he was awarded the title of “Honorary President".

Among those congratulating him were long-time companions Heiner Krammer, Michael Karaus, Christian Pehl, Thomas Frieling, Hans-Dieter Allescher, Viola Andresen and Michael Schemann

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