THE PROBLEM of motility of the digestive tube has been of interest for many years. Previous studies in this field followed two parallel lines: one purely experimental on animals and on isolated pieces of intestine1-4 and the other clinical.5,6 The various methods used so far for the study of intestinal motility in man are complicated. They are based on x-ray control of the propulsion of a radiopaque liquid or solid bolus or on the registration of data concerning gut muscle contraction. The recordings are obtained by introduction of lumen-filling balloons or by implantation of electrodes into the intestinal wall. These methods are inconvenient to patient and observer7 and may also produce change of the intestinal motility.6,8
The method reported herewith—external electroenterography (external EEnG)—avoids the above inconveniences. It is based on the recording of variations of bioelectric potentials corresponding to mechanical intestinal activity in that region.