Validation of body surface colonic mapping (BSCM) against high resolution colonic manometry for evaluation of colonic motility

Abnormal cyclic motor pattern (CMP) activity is implicated in colonic dysfunction, but the only tool to evaluate CMP activity, high-resolution colonic manometry (HRCM), remains expensive and not widely accessible. This study aimed to validate body surface colonic mapping (BSCM) through direct correlation with HRCM. Synchronous meal-test recordings were performed in asymptomatic participants with intact colons. A signal processing method for BSCM was developed to detect CMPs. Quantitative temporal analysis was performed comparing the meal responses and motility indices (MI). Spatial heat maps were also compared. Post-study questionnaires evaluated participants’ preference and comfort/distress experienced from either test. 11 participants were recruited and 7 had successful synchronous recordings (5 females/2 males; median age: 50 years [range 38–63]). The best-correlating MI temporal analyses achieved a high degree of agreement (median Pearson correlation coefficient (Rp) value: 0.69; range 0.47–0.77). HRCM and BSCM meal response start and end times (Rp = 0.998 and 0.83; both p < 0.05) and durations (Rp = 0.85; p = 0.03) were similar. Heat maps demonstrated good spatial agreement. BSCM is the first non-invasive method to be validated by demonstrating a direct spatio-temporal correlation to manometry in evaluating colonic motility.