By means of a dynamic acquisition protocol and a Fourier transform algorith
m the scintigraphic technique can be used to assess gastric antral motility
. In previous approaches, however, the definition of a region of interest (
ROI) that gives rise to an unequivocal result of the analysis of the corres
ponding time-activity curve might be crucial. To overcome this problem we e
valuated a new technique based on a fixed box-ROI and a simple weighting pr
inciple. Eight healthy volunteers ingested a meal that contained a Tc-99(m)
-stannous colloid labelled omelette. Gastric emptying was assessed from sta
tic images taken at 30-mm intervals for 2 h. Anterior dynamic frames of 1 s
each, which were acquired for 5 mm after each static acquisition, were use
d to determine the frequency of antral contractions. In order to allow for
precise outlining of the antrum, each set of dynamic images was at first re
framed into a single 5-mm image. The same ROI (20 pixels vertical, 15 pixel
s horizontal) was then positioned over the distal portion of the antrum on
each reframed image. On each 1-s frame the obtained counts in each of the 1
5 columns of 20 pixels were summed. Then the localization of the geometric
centre of radioactivity in the 15 columns was determined. On the assumption
that the horizontal oscillations of the geometric centre of radioactivity
in the ROI reflected the contractile activity of the antrum, the frequency
of these contractions was calculated by fast Fourier transform analysis of
the obtained time versus geometric centre curve. In all subjects, our techn
ique gave unequivocal frequencies of antral contractions at each time point
. Statistical analysis did not reveal any intraindividual variation in this
frequency during gastric emptying. We believe that the simplified scintigr
aphic method is an advantageous alternative for assessing the frequency of
antral contractions. ((C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins).