Papers of the Week

Esophageal hypersensitivity is an important cause of refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease, in which patients do not respond to standard acid-suppressive therapy and suffer from continuous noncardiac chest pain and regurgitation. The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) may play a crucial role in the development of visceral hypersensitivity in functional gastrointestinal disorders. However, the specific mechanisms of visceral hypersensitivity in upper digestive tract diseases remain poorly understood.