The main aim of this thesis was to investigate whether
electrogastrography (EGG), the recording of gastric myoelectrical
activity by means of electrodes attached to the abdominal skin, can
improve our understanding of gastric myoelectrical activity in
disease.
The accuracy and reliability of EGG was studied by comparing
cutaneous recordings with serosal recordings in a patient after
laparotomy, and by performing repeat studies in healthy
individuals. The fundamental frequency in the electrogastrogram in
man was shown to be of gastric origin and equal to the repetition
frequency of the gastric electrical control activity (ECA). The
gastric ECA frequency can be measured reliable by EGG. The
reliability of measurements of the postprandial amplitude increase
of the gastric frequency by EGG (an indicator of gastric motor
activity) can be improved by prolonging the fasting recording
period but this does not seem to be necessary for clinical
applications
