THE DESCRIPTION OF THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRANSIT OF PELLETS ASSESSED BY GAMMA-SCINTIGRAPHY USING STATISTICAL MOMENTS

The gastrointestinal transit of multiple units (e.g., pellets), as det ermined by gamma scintigraphy, has been characterized by the applicati on of statistical moments. Stomach emptying profiles can be described comprehensively by Mean Gastric Residence Time (MGRT) and Variance of Gastric Residence Time (VGRT) and caecum arrival data by Mean Caecum A rrival Time (MCAT) and Variance of Caecal Arrival Time (VCAT). This ma ximizes the data available, which is not the case when only described as 50% values. The statistical moments provide different information a bout the data observed compared to the classical descriptors, as there was only limited correlation between these two sets of parameters. St atistical moments therefore provide an important quantification of the process studied, and they can be used in any statistical test, where it is required to compare different experimental conditions.