Abstract
Electrogastrography (EGG) is a reliable diagnostic technique providing information on the frequency and relative amplitude of antral contractions of stomach using cutaneous electrodes. The aim of this study was to analyze the power ratio obtained during the EGG recording. Eight mature pigs entered our study. EGG was recorded using a Digitrapper EGG equipment (Synectics Medical AB, Stockholm, Sweden). The experiment was carried out under general anaesthesia. We performed three separate recordings in each animal. First was a baseline measurement of EGG under general anaesthesia, after 24 hours of fasting. The second was after administration of 100 mg itopride and the third recording was after intragastric volume challenge (360 ml of water per animal). Each recording lasted for 30 minutes. Power analysis did not provide further improvement of differentiation between particular EGG tests (basic, volume challenge and itopride) compared to the running spectrum percent activity of amplitude. The antral motor index and complex myoelectrical activity index correlate closely with each other. However, neither antral motor index nor complex myoelectrical activity index are essentially helpful in final evaluation of particular EGGs. Only non-significant trends could be found (basic EGG had the highest values of both indices). We conclude that running spectrum percent activity (dominant frequencies of gastric slow waves) remains the most important criterion for EGG evaluation in experimental pigs.
