[Evaluation of gastric motility using vector analysis of electrogastrography].

The validity of amplitude analysis was studied by means of vector analysis of cutaneous electrogastrography (EGG) recorded from two sets of bipolar electrodes placed at the upper abdomen. In a basic study on the dog, it was found that the vector locus area obtained by vector analysis of EGG expresses contractile activity in the stomach, and that the extreme ellipsoid's long axis of EGG corresponds well to the electrical axis of the stomach. In a clinical study on the healthy male volunteers, vector analysis of EGG in response to gastroprokinetic and cold stress showed potential utility. In summary, vector analysis of cutaneous EGG enables the measurement of gastric motor activity and the location of electrical axis, and is valuable in the evaluation of gastric motor activity together with the analysis of EGG frequency. In is concluded that cutaneous EGG is a simple, and clinically relevant technique for the measurement of functional abnormalities of the stomach.