Surface recording of small bowel electrical activity

The present study identifies the myoelectrical signal from the small bowel serosa (electroenterogram), through bipolar electrodes placed on the abdominal surface. An electroenterogram is composed of a permanent slow wave, and a sporadic spike burst that appears when there is a mechanical contraction of the bowel. Electroenterograms were captured through electrodes sutured to bowel serosa of Beagle dogs. Simultaneously, the bioelectrical signal from the abdominal surface is captured. Internal and external biosignals were parametrized in order to obtain intestinal motility. Parameters from surface activity were correlated with parameters from electroenterogram at each point of measurement. Results indicate that spectral parameters from internal and external signals are moderately strongly correlated. The highest correlation is found in those parameters which represent the existence of the spike bursts at the bowel point nearest to the surface electrodes. In conclusion, the present study shows that the spike burst component of the small bowel electrical activity can be detected through external recordings. Since spike burst induces a bowel contraction, its identification by means of surface recording could be a useful method to define intestinal motility