Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) produces non-invasive exquisite spatial resolution of internal organs. However, its application to the GI tract has been limited by several challenges. The GI tract has a complex and convoluted geometry. The GI geometry changes slowly over the course of meal digestion, as well as rapidly due to contraction of various compartments of the GI tract. As a person takes natural breaths during MRI, the respiratory motion further complicates the acquisition and analysis of GI images. In addition, different types of meal or nutrients have variable property as image contrast in upper GI MRI. It is difficult to standardize the MRI analysis for accurate and quantitative assessment of gastric emptying, motility, absorption, and secretion, to name a few. In a recently published study by our research collaborators at Purdue University, they have addressed many of these challenges in rodents and are ready to refine and translate their technical solutions to human upper GI MRI.

Functional MRI of the brain has been used to study afferent response in various GI disorders, such as dysphagia, functional dyspepsia, and irritable bowel syndrome.1-3 Brain activity is altered in the emotional response areas, and activity is reduced in the areas associated with top-down modulation of visceral afferent signals.4 However, direct correlation between regional brain activation by functional-MRI and GI motility by meal-contrast MRI is lacking.

The outcome of the proposed research is expected to lay the groundwork for non-invasive imaging of GI anatomy and function and the brain-gut interaction towards better understanding, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of GI disorders.