Quantitative analysis of motility recordings in the human small intestine

Simultaneous records of intraluminal pressure and electrical-action potentials (spike potentials) in the human duodenum were analyzed quantitatively by means of a stepwise scale of increasing activity, considering the frequency of spike potentials in combination with the frequency, duration, and amplitude of pressure waves. The analysis of consecutive 50-second periods was set up in a chart which can also be prepared in the form of a punched card representing an ultrashort summary of the intestinal motor activity throughout the entire examination. The abovementioned quantitative classification was related to visible motor activity by means of synchronized cinefluorography. The system described for quantitative motor analysis in the gastrointestinal tract is fast and easy to practice and may be useful for clinical motility studies.