Segmental Electrical Bioimpedance Measurements with a Single Lead (Electrode) Displacement

Abstract

Segmental Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (SBIA) has been proposed as an alternative to overcome some limitations of total BIA measurements for the calculations of body composition. It also has been used in different clinical conditions such as ascites, edema, neuromuscular damage, and during hemodialysis. There is no agreement about the best electrode arrangement to carry out the measurements. Using a sample of 43 apparently healthy adults recruited at the university (16 men aged 17-28 y, and 27 women aged 17–50 y), we show how, with the displacement of just one single voltage electrode, we can get readings that give accurate results and are less time consuming. For this purpose, we compared the results obtained through our proposal with those obtained when using three different methods reported in the scientific literature. We also propose a standardized nomenclature for electrode positioning.