New Directions in the Assessment of Gastric Function: Clinical Applications of Physiologic Measurements

Abstract

A variety of methods exist to assess gastric motor and sensory function. Specific techniques allow for the measurement of emptying, contractility, accommodation and sensation. Several of these techniques are suitable for in-office use rather than in a hospital or gastroenterology laboratory. While gastric function tests continue to proliferate and become more clinically accessible, their relevance to specific digestive symptoms or syndromes remains poorly studied. Additionally, the ability of gastric function testing to guide therapy or predict responses to interventions also remains poorly studied. Gastric function testing should be employed cautiously in clinical practice with an awareness that test results represent observations rather than diagnosis.

Employment of a noninvasive magnetic method for evaluation of gastrointestinal transit in rats

“…It is important to emphasize that there are specific techniques for measurements of emptying, contractility, accommodation and sensation [21], however ACB is feasible to record more than one parameter simultaneously concerning GI motility. The comparison performed after solid meal ingestion using magnetic material instead of activated charcoal showed the relationship between gastric emptying and GI transit.…”

Advances in oral nano-delivery systems for colon targeted drug delivery in inflammatory bowel disease: Selective targeting to diseased versus healthy tissue

“…The pH in the terminal ileum and colon is generally higher than in any other region of the GI tract (21,22); therefore a dosage form that disintegrates preferentially at high pH levels has potential for site-specific delivery into the colon. One of the simplest ways to modify dosage forms for pH-dependent drug delivery is to coat them with pH-sensitive biocompatible polymers (105).…”

Diagnostic Utility of Wireless Motility Capsule in Gastrointestinal Dysmotility

“…Routinely, most of these patients undergo various endoscopic and radiologic procedures, often repeatedly, together with other tests that are usually negative. [10][11][12] In addition, because of persistent symptoms, the patients frequently refer emergency rooms or clinics in search of relief and/or a diagnosis. 10 This is in part because of the fact that they are not well-defined entities and are usually classified on the basis of symptoms, and there is significant overlap among these conditions.…”

“…14 A lack of comprehensive diagnosis may lead to unsatisfactory treatment outcome as reflected by several recent patient surveys. 15 As symptoms alone do not predict the underlying pathophysiology, 12,[16][17][18][19][20] physiological tests such as gastric emptying study, 17,18 antroduodenal and jejunal manometry, 12,21,22 colonic transit study, 16,23 whole gut scintigraphy, 24,25 and colonic manometry, 21,25 have been advocated to facilitate an objective diagnosis. Many of these tests are invasive, some require radiation, and most are only available in limited academic centers.…”