Comparison between manual and automated techniques for assessment of data from dynamic antral scintigraphy

Analysis of dynamic antral scintigraphy using empirical mode decomposition

In this work, we proposed to use the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) to analyze signals from dynamic antral scintigraphy (DAS) for antral contraction rate estimation. The proposed EMD-Fourier method analyzes a DAS time-activity curve (TAC) which is called a DAS signal by estimating the frequency from the Fourier transform of each intrinsic mode function (IMF), thus yielding multiple frequency values for each TAC as opposed to one frequency value obtained from the conventional Fourier method. Twenty-three TACs extracted from DAS data acquired on twenty-three healthy volunteers were analyzed using both the EMD-Fourier method and the Fourier method. The mean and standard deviation of frequency across all volunteers were computed. The result showed that the EMD-Fourier method provided a reduction of SD-to-mean ratio from the Fourier method ranging from 64.3% to 85.8%. The mean frequencies from the third IMF in the EMD-Fourier method and from the Fourier method were 2.76 and 3.44 cycles per minute were close to a widely-used normal antral contraction rate (3.0 cycles per minute), while the EMD-Fourier method yielded significant SD reduction (from 4.77 to 0.57: p <; 0.0001). Moreover, it was found that the first IMF yielded a frequency estimate of 11.26 ± 2.2 cycles per minute, while the second IMF yielded a frequency estimate of 4.3 ± 1.3 cycles per minute, which are similar to the contraction rates of the duodenum and the large intestine, respectively.

Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for functional dyspepsia

General interest in functional gastrointestinal disorders is increasing among Japanese doctors as well as patients. This increase can be attributed to a number of factors, including recent increased interest in quality of life and advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of gastrointestinal disease. Japan recently became the world's first country to list "functional dyspepsia" as a disease name for national insurance billing purposes. However, recognition and understanding of functional dyspepsia (FD) remain poor, and no standard treatment strategy has yet been established. Accordingly, the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology (JSGE) developed an evidence-based clinical practice guideline for FD, consisting of five sections: concept, definition, and epidemiology; pathophysiology; diagnosis; treatment; and prognosis and complications. This article summarizes the Japanese guideline, with particular focus on the treatment section. Once a patient is diagnosed with FD, the doctor should carefully explain the pathophysiology and benign nature of this condition, establish a good doctor-patient relationship, and then provide advice for daily living (diet and lifestyle modifications, explanations, and reassurance). The proposed pharmacological treatment is divided into two steps: initial treatment including an acid inhibitory drug (H2RA or PPI) or prokinetics, (strong recommendation); second-line treatment including anxiolytics, antidepressants, and Japanese traditional medicine (weak recommendation). H. pylori eradication, strongly recommended with a high evidence level, is positioned separately from other treatment flows. Conditions that do not respond to these treatment regimens are regarded as refractory FD. Patients will be further examined for other organic disorders or will be referred to specialists using other approaches such as psychosomatic treatment.