Elucidation of gastric motor function caused by gastroesophageal reflux in Rumination syndrome

Rumination syndrome (RS) is a disease of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract characterised by repeated regurgitation of recently digested food back into the mouth. It can be difficult to distinguish from gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and it is likely that many RS patients are treated for GERD due to being misdiagnosed. Assistant Professor Kenichiro Nakagawa is leading a team of experts based in the Division of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan, investigating the causes of gastroesophageal reflux. The researchers have already found that RS and GERD are very different in terms of pathology. They are using high-resolution impedance manometry (HRIM) as a diagnostic tool to comprehensively assess the motor function and bolus transit of food through the oesophagus. They are also utilising oesophageal multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH (MII-pH) monitoring to assess the pH of targeted oesophageal and gastric regions of the GI tract. In doing so, the team can pinpoint gastroesophageal reflux patterns, in turn highlighting the differences in gastroesophageal reflux patterns between RS and GERD patients and healthy control subjects. Using oesophagogastric scintigraphy, the researchers can compare the ratio of regurgitated food during gastroesophageal reflux in their three test groups, analysing where the food residue in RS and GERD patients and healthy control subjects localises in the proximal stomach.