EVALUATION OF GASTROINTESTINAL TRANSIT IN HEALTHY CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC INTESTINAL CONSTIPATION USING ALTERNATING CURRENT BIOSUSCEPTOMETRY (ACB).

• Grant number: 23/12772-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2024
• End date: December 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Rozemeire Garcia Marques
• Grantee: Mayara Vidal Carneiro
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FMB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Chronic constipation represents a public health problem,accounting for approximately 3% of all medical consultations in pediatrics.The pathophysiology of chronic intestinal constipation is multifactorial and presents several aspects that are still unclear. Inchildren, the vast majority of cases (up to 95%) are considered functional in origin, relatedmainly to aspects of evacuation dynamics and eating patterns, without anyidentifiable anatomical or biochemical cause.Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is critical to ensure adequate clinical intervention.However, the techniques traditionally used cause discomfort, use radiation, areinvasive or demand a high operational cost. In recent decades, methods that involvebiomagnetic devices emerged as innovative technologies and have been successfully usedin the evaluation of several aspects related to GIT motility. One of the highlights is theAlternating Current Biosusceptometry (ACB), which uses sensors to,non-invasively, monitor motility and gastrointestinal transit after ingestion ofmagnetic markers or tracers. To sum up, the aim of this study is toevaluate the applicability and safety of the Alternating Current Biosusceptometry technique(ACB) concerning aspects of gastrointestinal motility in healthy children and in children withintestinal constipation. With this purpose, two groups of children will be compared (with chronic intestinal constipationand healthy children) and submitted to evaluation of colonic and gastrointestinal transit via the ACB. This assessment will include monitoring potentialadverse events of the exam and the application of questionnaires directed to clinical aspects and to theapplicability of this diagnostic method.