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Human electrogastrograms

Comparison of surface and mucosal recordings

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Abstract

A method to record the gastric basic electrical rhythm (BER) using skin electrodes is described. Correlation is made with mucosal suction electrodes in 20 volunteers. Successful simultaneous recording from surface electrodes and mucosal electrodes is made in 16/20 subjects (80%). An increase in amplitude of the recorded gastric BER with gastric contractions is demonstrated and discussed. Five patients with gastric motility disturbances and chronic nausea are also investigated. Four of these patients had diabetic gastroparesis. Each had preservation of the gastric BER. The rate was usually normal at three per minute, but during acute nausea episodes which occurred in three of the four, an abnormally increased rate of the BER (tachygastria) was seen. This finding was also seen in a subject with atrophic gastritis and delay of gastric emptying. The surface electrogastrogram may prove to be a useful tool for the investigation of patients with suspected gastric arrhythmias.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin

    John W. Hamilton MD, Bader E. Bellahsene MS, Mark Reichelderfer MD, John G. Webster PhD & Paul Bass PhD

  2. School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin

    John W. Hamilton MD, Bader E. Bellahsene MS, Mark Reichelderfer MD, John G. Webster PhD & Paul Bass PhD

  3. Department of Medicine, H6/512 Clinical Science Center, University of Wisconsin, 600 Highland Avenue, 53792, Madison, Wisconsin

    John W. Hamilton MD, Bader E. Bellahsene MS, Mark Reichelderfer MD, John G. Webster PhD & Paul Bass PhD

Authors
  1. John W. Hamilton MD
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  2. Bader E. Bellahsene MS
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  3. Mark Reichelderfer MD
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  4. John G. Webster PhD
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  5. Paul Bass PhD
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Additional information

This project received support from a General Research Support Grant to the University of Wisconsin Medical School from the National Institutes of Health, Division of Research Facilities and Resources, Bethesda, Maryland.

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Hamilton, J.W., Bellahsene, B.E., Reichelderfer, M. et al. Human electrogastrograms. Digest Dis Sci 31, 33–39 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01347907

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01347907

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