Regional gastrointestinal contractility parameters using the wireless motility capsule: inter‐observer reproducibility and influence of age, gender and study country.

Summary: Background: The wireless motility capsule concurrently measures temperature, pH and pressure as it traverses the gastrointestinal tract. Aims: To describe normative values for motility/contractility parameters across age, gender and testing centres. Methods: Healthy participants underwent a standardised wireless motility capsule assessment following an overnight fast and consumption of a meal of known nutritional content. Traces were divided into regions of interest and analysed using 2 software packages (MotiliGI and GIMS Data Viewer). Inter‐observer agreement was independently assessed by 2 investigators. Results: Normative data for motility/contractility parameters (maximum amplitude, mean peak amplitude, contraction frequency and motility index) are presented for 107 individuals (62 male, median age 40 years, range 18‐78). MotiliGI<italic>‐</italic>Gastric, small bowel and colonic maximal contraction amplitude correlated with age (<italic>r</italic> = .24, <italic>P</italic> = .01; <italic>r</italic> = .22, <italic>P</italic> = .02; and <italic>r</italic> = .2, <italic>P</italic> = .04 respectively). Small bowel motility index was higher in females than males (150.4 ± 12 vs 122 ± 7.6, <italic>P</italic> = .04). Inter‐observer agreement was excellent for transit times, pH and contractility/motility parameters. GIMS Data viewer<italic>‐</italic>Gastric, small bowel and colonic loge motility index correlated with the respective area under the contraction curve, total contractions, sum of amplitudes and contraction frequency (all <italic>r</italic>>.35, <italic>P</italic> < .0003) but not with transit times. Conclusions: Our analysis provides normative data for motility/contractility parameters. Log motility index summarises a number of measures. In future, the measurement of contractile activity with the wireless motility capsule may potentially aid in the diagnosis of disease states such as visceral myopathic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]