Electrogastrogram in Nonulcer Dyspepsia Patients : Correlation with Scintigraphic Gastric Emptying Study

Park, Soo Heon; Choi, Myung Gyu; Chae, Hiun Suk; Han, Joon Yeol; Kim, Jae Kwang; Sohn, Hyung Sun; Choi, Kyu Yong; Chung, Kyu Won; Sun, Hee Sik; Park, Doo Ho; Kim, Boo Sung

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In the pathogenesis of nonulcer dyspepsia, disordered motility of the proximal gastrointestinal tract is thought to play an important role in the genesis of this symptom. Gastric myoelectrical activity can be recorded in a noninvasive way by cutaneous electrodes. It is suggested that abnormal myoelectrical activity of the stomach, especially tachygastria, is involved in impaired gastric motility. Although the application of the electrogastrogram in clinical diagnosis has been very limited up till now, a great deal of research interest has been expended on the clinical usefulness of the electrogastrogram, However, copared with other electrophysiological studies, the electrogastrogram has a relatively short history. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of the electrogastrogram compared with scintigraphic gastric ernptying study.
METHODS
Eleven nonulcer dyspepsia patients and nine healthy individuals were studied. Subjects fasted at least 8 hours before testing and rested comfortably ir a supine position during the study. Electrogastrogram signals were obtained before and after ingestion of a radionuclide tagging test meal. Two hours of scintigraphic gastric emptging study were performed while the electrogastrogram was simultaneously recorded.
RESULTS
Fasting 3 cycle per minute in nonulcer dyspepsia was significantly decreased compared to that of healthy volunteer (77 1+/-8.4% vs 96.6+/-0.9%, P=0.0044). Postprandial tachygastria in nonulcer dyspepsia was significantly increased compared to that of healthy volunteer (5.8+/-1.6% vs 14,3+/-2.7%, P=0.0203). Postprandial 3 cycle per minute and period dominant power were correlated with T of scintigraphic gastric emptying study (r= -0.73972, P=0.00162, r=-0.64401, P=0.00957, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that postprandial 3 cycle per minute and period dominant power of cutaneous electrogostrogram may be useful in the detection of gastric motility disorder.