Neuromodulation has recently received a great deal of attention among academic institutions, government funding agents
and industries. This mini-review focuses on methods and applications as well as mechanisms of various neuromodulation
methods in treating functional diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract. First, the methods of various neuromodulation are
introduced, including direct electrical stimulation at various peripheral nerves, such as the vagus nerve, sacral nerve and
spinal cord, direct gastrointestinal electrical stimulation and noninvasive/transcutaneous electrical stimulation. Then, literature
search was performed on the clinical applications of these neuromodulation methods for treating gastroesophageal reflux
disease, functional dyspepsia and gastroparesis. Due to nature of the mini-review, the search results are selectively
presented based on the expert opinions. Finally, a perspective is provided based on the author’s own experience in this field
of research.