Abstract
To investigate the relationship between postprandial electrogastrographic changes and parasympathetic nervous activity, 10 healthy adult males (20 to 29 years old) volunteered for EGG recording in the following conditions: 1) butylscopolamine bromide (scopolamine) administration to block parasympathetic nervous activity ; 2) after food intake ; and 3) during a postprandial period after the parasympathetic blockade. Power spectral analysis of EGG was performed according to Akaike's autoregressive model. When the parasympathetic nervous activity was blocked, there were no changes in the dominant frequency of the EGG. During the postprandial period, the dominant frequency in EGG increased significantly, and postprandial dip (transient frequency decrease after the food intake) was observed in 8 of the 10 subjects. During the postprandial period after scopolamine administration, the dominant frequency of EGG did not increase, and postprandial dip was observed in only two subjects. These results suggest that the parasympathetic nervous activity is involved in occurrence of postprandial gastric motor function and postprandial electrogas trographic changes.
