AN IMPROVED ELECTROGASTROGRAPHIC SYSTEM IN MEASURING MYOELECTRICAL PARAMETERS

This study assessed the reliability of an improved electrogastrographi c (EGG) system in recording stomach myoelectrical parameters and tried to establish the normal ranges of myoelectricity using this system. T he analytical software of the current system mainly included an autore gressive modelling program to compute myoelectrical frequency and powe r. Forty healthy subjects were enrolled to receive myoelectrical measu rement in two consecutively fasting and one postprandial 30 min sessio ns. The myoelectrical frequencies in both fasting and postprandial ses sions were almost three cycles per min (c.p.m.) and showed little vari ation. The percentage of dominant frequencies (2.5-3.5 c.p.m.) in thre e sessions was approximately 80% while the computed myoelectrical powe rs in the first and second fasting sessions exhibited a significant co rrelation (r = 0.84, P < 0.001). Meal ingestion increased the myoelect rical powers by 6.8 dB compared with the second fasting recording (P < 0.001). The mean variation in myoelectrical amplitude for the ratio o f second : first fasting session was 110.3 +/- 88.8% (16-478%, median 88%). This new EGG system is, indeed, reliable for measuring myoelectr ical frequency and power, whereas the interassay of recorded amplitude s appears markedly variable.