Analogue automated analysis of small intestinal electromyogram

Abstract

The recording of intestinal electrical activity is used to study digestive motility. This activity consists of slow waves occurring at a frequency of 13–20 cycles per minute. The slow waves are sometimes superimposed with spike potentials. Different patterns of distribution of spike potentials on the slow waves have been shown to occur in physiological and pathological conditions, so that longlasting recording sessions are increasingly required. This presents the problem of analysis of large amounts of data that has not yet been resolved satisfactorily. We present herein an analogue automated system of analysis of the intestinal electrical activityin dogs. This system works in real time and provides online data recorded on a graphic recorder. A microcomputer controlled printer and tape recorder were also used. Slow waves are characterised both by the amplitude and the timing of occurrence of relative minima. The spike bursts are detected on the slow waves; their distribution on the slow waves is given, and their energy is measured. Thus, our system allows an easy analysis of long duration chronic recordings, qualitatively (distribution of the spike bursts on the slow waves) as well as quantitatively (time of occurrence of slow waves and number and energy of the spike bursts).