Proper colon function requires signals from extrinsic primary afferent neurons (ExPANs) located in spinal ganglia. Most ExPANs express the vanilloid receptor TRPV1 and a dense plexus of TRPV1-positive fibers is found around myenteric neurons. Capsaicin, a TRPV1 agonist, can initiate activity in myenteric neurons and produce muscle contraction. ExPANs might therefore form motility-regulating synapses onto myenteric neurons. ExPANs mediate visceral pain and myenteric neurons mediate colon motility, so we investigated communication between ExPANs and myenteric neurons and the circuits by which ExPANs modulate colon function.