Biomagnetic Characterization of Gastric Dysrhythmias III
Biomagnetic Characterization of Gastric Dysrhythmias III
There is a tremendous clinical need for a noninvasive technique that can assess gastric
 electrical activity and would be repeatable without any exposure to radiation. Investigators
 developed a new technique allowing to use noninvasive methods to assess bioelectrical
 activity in the gastrointestinal system. This has enabled to characterize the normal and
 pathologic physiology of the stomach through the use of noninvasive magnetogastrogram (MGG)
 records. Primary hypothesis for this proposal is that analysis of gastric slow wave
 uncoupling and propagation in multichannel MGG discriminates between normal and pathological
 gastric electrical activity. Eventually, investigators envision this research leading to new
 insights for gastrointestinal conditions such as gastroparesis, functional dyspepsia and
 chronic idiopathic nausea that would inform clinical management of these debilitating
 diseases.
Studies have demonstrated that the magnetogastrogram (MGG) records the same gastric slow wave
 activity that detect with serosal and mucosal electrodes. The upgraded magnetometer will
 improve the spatial resolution resulting in increased sensitivity for detecting and
 characterizing both abnormal frequency dynamics and abnormal spatiotemporal patterns. The
 spatiotemporal data collected with multichannel Superconducting QUantum Interference Device
 (SQUID) biomagnetometer has allowed , for the first time, to characterize propagation of the
 gastric slow wave noninvasively. In addition to frequency dynamic changes, which are the only
 reliable parameters from cutaneous electrogastrogram (EGG), and which still do not
 necessarily correlate well with disease, the MGG reflects normal and abnormal gastric slow
 wave activity. Furthermore, for the first time, investigators have demonstrated that
 propagation characteristics determined magnetically distinguish normal subjects from patients
 with gastroparesis. Also for the first time, investigators have been able to detect the
 gradient in gastric propagation velocity noninvasively in animal subjects. However,
 investigators still have unresolved questions about how MGG propagation rhythm and pattern
 disturbances may specify functional disorders.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Participants between ages 12-80

 -  Diabetic patients with gastroparesis, diabetic patients without gastroparesis and who
 are willing to have a gastric emptying test if they have not had one in the last 6
 months and an IV inserted.

 -  Patients with idiopathic gastroparesis

 -  Total or partial gastrectomy patients

 -  Children (ages 12-17) with functional dyspepsia

 -  Children (ages 12-17) with chronic nausea

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Those with claustrophobia who cannot lie still under the SQUID for the length of time
 required.

 -  Normal participants with known intestinal complications

 -  Pregnant females (females who are able to have children will be given a pregnancy
 test).

 -  Morbid obesity (these patients are presumably unable to lie under the current
 generation of SQUID devices).

 -  Patients with a history of cardiac arrhythmias, taking anticoagulants, or greater than
 80 years of age will be excluded.