AbStats: Assessing Post-Prandial Intestinal Event Rates in Healthy Individuals

Overview

This study seeks to: Assess "normal" intestinal event rates for healthy subjects, to determine the effect of meal size on an individual's intestinal rate, and to determine whether there are differences between individuals in the fasting and post-prandial setting. The investigators hypothesize the following: 1. Fasting intestinal rate will be consistently less than 14 events per minute, similar to previously documented bowel sound frequency. 2. There will a uniform increase in intestinal rate in the immediate post-prandial setting. There will be direct correlation between maximal and average post-prandial intestinal rates and meal size. Likewise, meal size will correlate with time to baseline fasting intestinal rate. 3. Males and those with lower body mass index (BMI) will experience higher maximal and average post-prandial intestinal rates and shorter time to baseline fasting levels compared to females and those with higher BMI, respectively.

Participants will complete a baseline demographic and medical data sheet comprising of age, gender, race, ethnicity, height, weight, education, employment status, past medical history, and current prescription and over-the-counter medications. An AbStats device along with a log sheet will be provided to each subject, both of which will be returned upon completion of participation. Upon waking, prior to oral intake, participants will place the AbStats disposable sensor on their abdomen and secure it using adhesive tape. The sensor is connected to a monitor which records the sounds collected by the sensors and interprets them to create and intestinal rate reading, measured as acoustic events per minute. The device will display a numerical intestinal rate reading, measured as acoustic events per minute. The device will display a numerical intestinal rate that participants will record on their personal log sheet. The purpose of this value is to assess the intestinal rate during fasting. Participants will then eat a small standardized breakfast comprised of a thinkThin oatmeal single serve bowl, toasted English muffin with butter, and an 11oz iced coffee. No additions or substitutions are permitted in order to standardize the meal. The percent of food eaten will be recorded on the log sheet. Lunch on Day 1 will be a "small meal" consisting of half of a turkey and Swiss Corner Bakery sandwich, cup of fruit, and 12oz can of diet soda. It will be eaten four to five hours after breakfast. No snacks are permitted between breakfast and lunch. Again, a pre-meal intestinal rate reading will be obtained 30 minutes prior to eating lunch; participants will secure the device onto the abdomen multiple times in order to gather post-prandial data. The intestinal rate will be recorded on the log sheet. The subject will record intestinal rate every 30 minutes for 5 hours after completion of the meal (e.g., lunch at 12 pm, then place sensors on abdomen for 10 minutes at 12:30 pm, 1:00 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:00 pm, 2:30 pm, 3:00 pm, 3:30 pm, 4: 00 pm, 4:30 pm, and 5:00 pm). Afterwards, participants can eat freely once these data points have been obtained. Dinner will be a meal of their choosing. Day 2 of the study will be largely similar to Day 1: participants will measure fasting intestinal rate upon waking and will eat a standardized breakfast (see above). The main difference in Day 2 is that participants will eat a "large meal" for lunch consisting of a full turkey and Swiss Corner Bakery sandwich, cup of fruit, small bag of potato chips, small cookie, and a 12oz can of diet soda. The same pre- and post-lunch measurements notes above will be measured and recorded. By performing the above, investigators will assess preliminary intestinal rate measurements in the fasting state, after a small lunch (Day 1), and after a large lunch (Day 2).