Meal effects on gastric bioelectrical activity utilizing body surface gastric mapping in healthy subjects

Background Gastric sensorimotor disorders are prevalent. While gastric emptying measurements are commonly used, they may not fully capture the underlying pathophysiology. Body surface gastric mapping (BSGM) recently emerged to assess gastric sensorimotor dysfunction. This study assessed varying meal size on BSGM responses to inform test use in a wider variety of contexts. Methods Data from multiple healthy cohorts receiving BSGM were pooled, using four different test meals. A standard BSGM protocol was employed: 30‐min fasting, 4‐h post‐prandial, using Gastric Alimetry® (Alimetry, New Zealand). Meals comprised: (i) nutrient drink + oatmeal bar (482 kcal; ‘standard meal’); (ii) oatmeal bar alone; egg and toast meal, and pancake (all ~250 kcal). Gastric Alimetry metrics included BMI‐adjusted Amplitude, Principal Gastric Frequency, Gastric Alimetry Rhythm Index (GA‐RI) and Fed:Fasted Amplitude Ratio (ff‐AR). Key Results 238 participants (59.2% female) were included. All meals significantly increased amplitude and frequency during the first postprandial hour (p 0.05). The amplitude and GA‐RI of the standard meal (n = 110) were significantly higher than the energy bar alone (n = 45) and egg meal (n = 65) (all p 0.05). A higher symptom burden was found in the oatmeal bar group versus the standard meal and pancake meal (p = 0.01, 0.003, respectively). Conclusions & Inferences The consumption of lower calorie meals elicited different postprandial responses, when compared to the standard Gastric Alimetry meal. These data will guide interpretations of BSGM when applied with lower calorie meals. Examining meal effects on gastric electrical activity, we compared a 482 kcal nutrient drink and oatmeal bar with three 250 kcal meals (oatmeal bar alone, eggs with toast, and a pancake). All meals significantly enhanced amplitude and frequency within the first hour, yet the lower‐calorie meals elicited distinct responses.