GASTRIC-MOTILITY AND EMPTYING STUDIES WITH RADIONUCLIDES IN RESEARCH AND CLINICAL SETTINGS

Scintigraphy remains the most reliable method to measure gastric empty ing. Standardized dual-isotope radionuclide gastric emptying technique s and appropriate meals, which stimulate small bowel receptors and uti lize correction factors for technical errors, are widely available for research purposes. It is now necessary to apply the same standardized techniques in clinical settings to make the test diagnostically worth while. It is possible to quantify gastric motor function scintigraphic ally and to apply this methodology to study the pathophysiology of gas tric emptying in various motor disorders. Ambulatory gastric emptying methods with intraluminal gamma counting probes are currently under de velopment.