1
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Tzeis S, Gerstenfeld EP, Kalman J, Saad EB, Shamloo AS, Andrade JG, Barbhaiya CR, Baykaner T, Boveda S, Calkins H, Chan NY, Chen M, Chen SA, Dagres N, Damiano RJ, De Potter T, Deisenhofer I, Derval N, Di Biase L, Duytschaever M, Dyrda K, Hindricks G, Hocini M, Kim YH, la Meir M, Merino JL, Michaud GF, Natale A, Nault I, Nava S, Nitta T, O'Neill M, Pak HN, Piccini JP, Pürerfellner H, Reichlin T, Saenz LC, Sanders P, Schilling R, Schmidt B, Supple GE, Thomas KL, Tondo C, Verma A, Wan EY. 2024 European Heart Rhythm Association/Heart Rhythm Society/Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society/Latin American Heart Rhythm Society expert consensus statement on catheter and surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation. Heart Rhythm 2024; 21:e31-e149. [PMID: 38597857 DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2024.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
In the last three decades, ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) has become an evidence-based safe and efficacious treatment for managing the most common cardiac arrhythmia. In 2007, the first joint expert consensus document was issued, guiding healthcare professionals involved in catheter or surgical AF ablation. Mounting research evidence and technological advances have resulted in a rapidly changing landscape in the field of catheter and surgical AF ablation, thus stressing the need for regularly updated versions of this partnership which were issued in 2012 and 2017. Seven years after the last consensus, an updated document was considered necessary to define a contemporary framework for selection and management of patients considered for or undergoing catheter or surgical AF ablation. This consensus is a joint effort from collaborating cardiac electrophysiology societies, namely the European Heart Rhythm Association, the Heart Rhythm Society, the Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society, and the Latin American Heart Rhythm Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stylianos Tzeis
- Department of Cardiology, Mitera Hospital, 6, Erythrou Stavrou Str., Marousi, Athens, PC 151 23, Greece.
| | - Edward P Gerstenfeld
- Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Kalman
- Department of Cardiology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne and Baker Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Eduardo B Saad
- Electrophysiology and Pacing, Hospital Samaritano Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Cardiac Arrhythmia Service, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Jason G Andrade
- Department of Medicine, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Tina Baykaner
- Division of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Serge Boveda
- Heart Rhythm Management Department, Clinique Pasteur, Toulouse, France; Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hugh Calkins
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ngai-Yin Chan
- Department of Medicine and Geriatrics, Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Minglong Chen
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shih-Ann Chen
- Heart Rhythm Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, and Cardiovascular Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | | | - Ralph J Damiano
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Isabel Deisenhofer
- Department of Electrophysiology, German Heart Center Munich, Technical University of Munich (TUM) School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Nicolas Derval
- IHU LIRYC, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Cardiac Electrophysiology and Stimulation Department, Fondation Bordeaux Université and Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac-Bordeaux, France
| | - Luigi Di Biase
- Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | | | - Katia Dyrda
- Department of Medicine, Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Meleze Hocini
- IHU LIRYC, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Cardiac Electrophysiology and Stimulation Department, Fondation Bordeaux Université and Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac-Bordeaux, France
| | - Young-Hoon Kim
- Division of Cardiology, Korea University College of Medicine and Korea University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Mark la Meir
- Cardiac Surgery Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jose Luis Merino
- La Paz University Hospital, Idipaz, Universidad Autonoma, Madrid, Spain; Hospital Viamed Santa Elena, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Andrea Natale
- Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, St. David's Medical Center, Austin, TX, USA; Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Interventional Electrophysiology, Scripps Clinic, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Division of Cardiology, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Isabelle Nault
- Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Quebec (IUCPQ), Quebec, Canada
| | - Santiago Nava
- Departamento de Electrocardiología, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología 'Ignacio Chávez', Ciudad de México, México
| | - Takashi Nitta
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mark O'Neill
- Cardiovascular Directorate, St. Thomas' Hospital and King's College, London, UK
| | - Hui-Nam Pak
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | - Tobias Reichlin
- Department of Cardiology, Inselspital Bern, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Luis Carlos Saenz
- International Arrhythmia Center, Cardioinfantil Foundation, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Prashanthan Sanders
- Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders, University of Adelaide and Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
| | | | - Boris Schmidt
- Cardioangiologisches Centrum Bethanien, Medizinische Klinik III, Agaplesion Markuskrankenhaus, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Gregory E Supple
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Section, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Claudio Tondo
- Department of Clinical Electrophysiology and Cardiac Pacing, Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, Milan, Italy; Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Atul Verma
- McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Elaine Y Wan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
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Invers-Rubio E, Hernández-Romero I, Reventos-Presmanes J, Ferro E, Guichard JB, Regany-Closa M, Pellicer-Sendra B, Borras R, Prat-Gonzalez S, Tolosana JM, Porta-Sanchez A, Arbelo E, Guasch E, Sitges M, Brugada J, Guillem MS, Roca-Luque I, Climent AM, Mont L, Althoff TF. Regional conduction velocities determined by noninvasive mapping are associated with arrhythmia-free survival after atrial fibrillation ablation. Heart Rhythm 2024; 21:1570-1580. [PMID: 38636930 DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2024.04.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Atrial arrhythmogenic substrate is a key determinant of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), and reduced conduction velocities have been linked to adverse outcome. However, a noninvasive method to assess such electrophysiologic substrate is not available to date. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to noninvasively assess regional conduction velocities and their association with arrhythmia-free survival after PVI. METHODS A consecutive 52 patients scheduled for AF ablation (PVI only) and 19 healthy controls were prospectively included and received electrocardiographic imaging (ECGi) to noninvasively determine regional atrial conduction velocities in sinus rhythm. A novel ECGi technology obviating the need of additional computed tomography or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was applied and validated by invasive mapping. RESULTS Mean ECGi-determined atrial conduction velocities were significantly lower in AF patients than in healthy controls (1.45 ± 0.15 m/s vs 1.64 ± 0.15 m/s; P < .0001). Differences were particularly pronounced in a regional analysis considering only the segment with the lowest average conduction velocity in each patient (0.8 ± 0.22 m/s vs 1.08 ± 0.26 m/s; P < .0001). This average conduction velocity of the "slowest" segment was independently associated with arrhythmia recurrence and better discriminated between PVI responders and nonresponders than previously proposed predictors, including left atrial size and late gadolinium enhancement (magnetic resonance imaging). Patients without slow-conduction areas (mean conduction velocity <0.78 m/s) showed significantly higher 12-month arrhythmia-free survival than those with 1 or more slow-conduction areas (88.9% vs 48.0%; P = .002). CONCLUSION This is the first study to investigate regional atrial conduction velocities noninvasively. The absence of ECGi-determined slow-conduction areas well discriminates PVI responders from nonresponders. Such noninvasive assessment of electrical arrhythmogenic substrate may guide treatment strategies and be a step toward personalized AF therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Invers-Rubio
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Clinic Cardiovascular Institute (ICCV), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | | | - Jana Reventos-Presmanes
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Clinic Cardiovascular Institute (ICCV), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; ITACA Institute, Universitat Politècnica de València, València, Spain
| | - Elisenda Ferro
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Clinic Cardiovascular Institute (ICCV), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jean-Baptiste Guichard
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Clinic Cardiovascular Institute (ICCV), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Saint-Étienne, Saint-Étienne, France
| | - Mariona Regany-Closa
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Clinic Cardiovascular Institute (ICCV), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Berta Pellicer-Sendra
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Clinic Cardiovascular Institute (ICCV), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Roger Borras
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Clinic Cardiovascular Institute (ICCV), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Susanna Prat-Gonzalez
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Clinic Cardiovascular Institute (ICCV), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jose Maria Tolosana
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Clinic Cardiovascular Institute (ICCV), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cardiovascular (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Andreu Porta-Sanchez
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Clinic Cardiovascular Institute (ICCV), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cardiovascular (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Arbelo
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Clinic Cardiovascular Institute (ICCV), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cardiovascular (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Eduard Guasch
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Clinic Cardiovascular Institute (ICCV), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cardiovascular (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Sitges
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Clinic Cardiovascular Institute (ICCV), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cardiovascular (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Josep Brugada
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Clinic Cardiovascular Institute (ICCV), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cardiovascular (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria S Guillem
- ITACA Institute, Universitat Politècnica de València, València, Spain
| | - Ivo Roca-Luque
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Clinic Cardiovascular Institute (ICCV), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cardiovascular (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Andreu M Climent
- ITACA Institute, Universitat Politècnica de València, València, Spain
| | - Lluís Mont
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Clinic Cardiovascular Institute (ICCV), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cardiovascular (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Till F Althoff
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Clinic Cardiovascular Institute (ICCV), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
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3
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Tzeis S, Gerstenfeld EP, Kalman J, Saad E, Shamloo AS, Andrade JG, Barbhaiya CR, Baykaner T, Boveda S, Calkins H, Chan NY, Chen M, Chen SA, Dagres N, Damiano RJ, De Potter T, Deisenhofer I, Derval N, Di Biase L, Duytschaever M, Dyrda K, Hindricks G, Hocini M, Kim YH, la Meir M, Merino JL, Michaud GF, Natale A, Nault I, Nava S, Nitta T, O'Neill M, Pak HN, Piccini JP, Pürerfellner H, Reichlin T, Saenz LC, Sanders P, Schilling R, Schmidt B, Supple GE, Thomas KL, Tondo C, Verma A, Wan EY. 2024 European Heart Rhythm Association/Heart Rhythm Society/Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society/Latin American Heart Rhythm Society expert consensus statement on catheter and surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation. J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2024; 67:921-1072. [PMID: 38609733 DOI: 10.1007/s10840-024-01771-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
In the last three decades, ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) has become an evidence-based safe and efficacious treatment for managing the most common cardiac arrhythmia. In 2007, the first joint expert consensus document was issued, guiding healthcare professionals involved in catheter or surgical AF ablation. Mounting research evidence and technological advances have resulted in a rapidly changing landscape in the field of catheter and surgical AF ablation, thus stressing the need for regularly updated versions of this partnership which were issued in 2012 and 2017. Seven years after the last consensus, an updated document was considered necessary to define a contemporary framework for selection and management of patients considered for or undergoing catheter or surgical AF ablation. This consensus is a joint effort from collaborating cardiac electrophysiology societies, namely the European Heart Rhythm Association, the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), the Asia Pacific HRS, and the Latin American HRS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Edward P Gerstenfeld
- Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Kalman
- Department of Cardiology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne and Baker Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Eduardo Saad
- Electrophysiology and Pacing, Hospital Samaritano Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Cardiac Arrhythmia Service, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Jason G Andrade
- Department of Medicine, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Tina Baykaner
- Division of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Serge Boveda
- Heart Rhythm Management Department, Clinique Pasteur, Toulouse, France
- Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hugh Calkins
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ngai-Yin Chan
- Department of Medicine and Geriatrics, Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Minglong Chen
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shih-Ann Chen
- Heart Rhythm Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Nikolaos Dagres
- Department of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Charité University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ralph J Damiano
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Isabel Deisenhofer
- Department of Electrophysiology, German Heart Center Munich, Technical University of Munich (TUM) School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Nicolas Derval
- IHU LIRYC, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Cardiac Electrophysiology and Stimulation Department, Fondation Bordeaux Université and Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac-Bordeaux, France
| | - Luigi Di Biase
- Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | | | - Katia Dyrda
- Department of Cardiology, Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Gerhard Hindricks
- Department of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Charité University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Meleze Hocini
- IHU LIRYC, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Cardiac Electrophysiology and Stimulation Department, Fondation Bordeaux Université and Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac-Bordeaux, France
| | - Young-Hoon Kim
- Division of Cardiology, Korea University College of Medicine and Korea University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Mark la Meir
- Cardiac Surgery Department, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel-Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jose Luis Merino
- La Paz University Hospital, Idipaz, Universidad Autonoma, Madrid, Spain
- Hospital Viamed Santa Elena, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gregory F Michaud
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrea Natale
- Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, St. David's Medical Center, Austin, TX, USA
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Interventional Electrophysiology, Scripps Clinic, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Division of Cardiology, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Isabelle Nault
- Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Quebec (IUCPQ), Quebec, Canada
| | - Santiago Nava
- Departamento de Electrocardiología, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología 'Ignacio Chávez', Ciudad de México, México
| | - Takashi Nitta
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mark O'Neill
- Cardiovascular Directorate, St. Thomas' Hospital and King's College, London, UK
| | - Hui-Nam Pak
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | - Tobias Reichlin
- Department of Cardiology, Inselspital Bern, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Luis Carlos Saenz
- International Arrhythmia Center, Cardioinfantil Foundation, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Prashanthan Sanders
- Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders, University of Adelaide and Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
| | | | - Boris Schmidt
- Cardioangiologisches Centrum Bethanien, Medizinische Klinik III, Agaplesion Markuskrankenhaus, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Gregory E Supple
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Section, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Claudio Tondo
- Department of Clinical Electrophysiology and Cardiac Pacing, Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Atul Verma
- McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Elaine Y Wan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
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4
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Serrano RR, Velasco‐Bosom S, Dominguez‐Alfaro A, Picchio ML, Mantione D, Mecerreyes D, Malliaras GG. High Density Body Surface Potential Mapping with Conducting Polymer-Eutectogel Electrode Arrays for ECG imaging. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2301176. [PMID: 37203308 PMCID: PMC11251564 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202301176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Electrocardiography imaging (ECGi) is a non-invasive inverse reconstruction procedure which employs body surface potential maps (BSPM) obtained from surface electrode array measurements to improve the spatial resolution and interpretability of conventional electrocardiography (ECG) for the diagnosis of cardiac dysfunction. ECGi currently lacks precision, which has prevented its adoption in clinical setups. The introduction of high-density electrode arrays could increase ECGi reconstruction accuracy but is not attempted before due to manufacturing and processing limitations. Advances in multiple fields have now enabled the implementation of such arrays which poses questions on optimal array design parameters for ECGi. In this work, a novel conducting polymer electrode manufacturing process on flexible substrates is proposed to achieve high-density, mm-sized, conformable, long-term, and easily attachable electrode arrays for BSPM with parameters optimally selected for ECGi applications. Temporal, spectral, and correlation analysis are performed on a prototype array demonstrating the validity of the chosen parameters and the feasibility of high-density BSPM, paving the way for ECGi devices fit for clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Antonio Dominguez‐Alfaro
- Electrical Engineering DivisionUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB3 0FAUK
- POLYMATUniversity of the Basque Country UPV/EHUAvda. Tolosa 72Donostia‐San SebastianGipuzkoa20018Spain
| | - Matias L. Picchio
- POLYMATUniversity of the Basque Country UPV/EHUAvda. Tolosa 72Donostia‐San SebastianGipuzkoa20018Spain
| | - Daniele Mantione
- POLYMATUniversity of the Basque Country UPV/EHUAvda. Tolosa 72Donostia‐San SebastianGipuzkoa20018Spain
- IKERBASQUEBasque Foundation for ScienceBilbao48009Spain
| | - David Mecerreyes
- POLYMATUniversity of the Basque Country UPV/EHUAvda. Tolosa 72Donostia‐San SebastianGipuzkoa20018Spain
- IKERBASQUEBasque Foundation for ScienceBilbao48009Spain
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5
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Thind M, Lou Q, Zado ES, Markman TM, Schaller RD, Nazarian S, Frankel DS, Hyman MC, Tschabrunn CM, Marchlinski FE. Utility of noninvasive electrocardiographic imaging in the localization of nonpulmonary vein triggers of atrial fibrillation determined by pacing common trigger sites. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2024. [PMID: 38924232 DOI: 10.1111/jce.16347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Identifying the origin of nonpulmonary vein atrial fibrillation (AF) triggers (NPVTs) after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) can be challenging. We aimed to determine if noninvasive electrocardiographic imaging (ECGi) could localize pacing from common NPVT sites. ECGi combines measured body surface potentials with heart-torso geometry acquired from computed tomography (CT) to generate an activation map. METHODS In 12 patients with AF undergoing first time ablation, the ECGi vest was fitted for preprocedural CT scan and worn during the procedure. After PVI, we performed steady-state pacing from 15 typical anatomic NPVT sites at a cycle length of 700-800 ms. We co-registered the invasive anatomic map with the CT-based ECGi epicardial activation map to compare ECGi predicted to true pacing origin. RESULTS In the study cohort (67% male, 58% persistent AF, and 67% with left atrial dilation), 148 (82%) pacing sites had both capture and adequate anatomy acquired from the three-dimensional mapping system to co-register with ECGi activation map. Median distance between true pacing sites and point of earliest epicardial activation derived from the ECGi maps for all sites was 17 mm (interquartile range, 10-22 mm). Assuming paced sites treated as regions with a radius of 2.5 cm, the earliest activation site on ECGi map falls within the region with 94% accuracy. CONCLUSION ECGi can approximate the origin of paced beats from common NPVT sites to within a median distance of 17 mm. A rapidly identified region may then be the focus of more detailed catheter-based mapping techniques to facilitate successful localization and ablation of NPVTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munveer Thind
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Section, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Qing Lou
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Section, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Erica S Zado
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Section, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Timothy M Markman
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Section, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Robert D Schaller
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Section, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Saman Nazarian
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Section, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - David S Frankel
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Section, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Matthew C Hyman
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Section, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Cory M Tschabrunn
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Section, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Francis E Marchlinski
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Section, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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6
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Ad N, Kang JK, Chinedozi ID, Salenger R, Fonner CE, Alejo D, Holmes SD. Statewide data on surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation: The data provide a path forward. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2024; 167:1766-1775. [PMID: 37160217 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2023.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Atrial fibrillation (AF), if left untreated, is associated with increased intermediate and long-term morbidity/mortality. Surgical treatment for AF is lacking standardization in patient selection and lesion set, despite clear support from multi-society guidelines. The aim of this study was to analyze a statewide cardiac surgery registry to establish whether or not there is an association between center volume and type of index procedure with performance of surgical ablation (SA) for AF, the lesion set chosen, and ablation technology used. METHODS Adult, first-time, nonemergency patients with preoperative AF between 2014 and 2022 excluding standalone SA procedures from a statewide registry of Society of Thoracic Surgeons data were included (N = 4320). AF treatment variability by hospital volume (ordered from smallest to largest) and surgery type were examined with χ2 analyses. Hospital-level Spearman correlations compared hospital volume with proportion of AF patients treated with SA. RESULTS Overall, 37% of patients with AF were ablated at the time of surgery (63% of mitral procedures, 26% of non-mitrals) and 15% had left atrial appendage management only. There was a significant temporal trend of increasing performance of SA for AF over time (Cochran-Armitage = 27.8; P < .001). Hospital cardiac surgery volume did not correlate with the proportion of AF patients treated with SA (rs = 0.19; P = .603) with a rate of SA below the state average for academic centers. Of cases with SA (n = 1582), only 43% had a biatrial lesion set. Procedures that involved mitral surgery were more likely to include a biatrial lesion set (χ2 = 392.3; P < .001) for both paroxysmal and persistent AF. Similarly, ablation technology use was variable by type of concomitant operation (χ2 = 219.0; P < .001) such that radiofrequency energy was more likely to be used in non-mitral procedures. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate an increase in adoption of SA for AF over time. No association between greater hospital volume or academic status and performance of SA for AF was established. Similar to national data, the type of index procedure remains the most consistent factor in the decision to perform SA with a disconnect between AF pathophysiology and decision making on the type of SA performed. This analysis demonstrates a gap between evidence-based guidelines and real-world practice, highlighting an opportunity to confer the benefits of concomitant SA to more patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niv Ad
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md.
| | - Jin Kook Kang
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md
| | - Ifeanyi D Chinedozi
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md
| | - Rawn Salenger
- Cardiothoracic Surgery Division, Department of Surgery, University of Maryland St Joseph's Medical Center, Baltimore, Md
| | | | - Diane Alejo
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md
| | - Sari D Holmes
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md
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7
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Khawajakhail R, Khan RU, Gondal MUR, Toru HK, Malik M, Iqbal A, Malik J, Faraz M, Awais M. Advancements in gene therapy approaches for atrial fibrillation: Targeted delivery, mechanistic insights and future prospects. Curr Probl Cardiol 2024; 49:102431. [PMID: 38309546 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2024.102431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Atrial fibrillation (AF) remains a complex and challenging arrhythmia to treat, necessitating innovative therapeutic strategies. This review explores the evolving landscape of gene therapy for AF, focusing on targeted delivery methods, mechanistic insights, and future prospects. Direct myocardial injection, reversible electroporation, and gene painting techniques are discussed as effective means of delivering therapeutic genes, emphasizing their potential to modulate both structural and electrical aspects of the AF substrate. The importance of identifying precise targets for gene therapy, particularly in the context of AF-associated genetic, structural, and electrical abnormalities, is highlighted. Current studies employing animal models, such as mice and large animals, provide valuable insights into the efficacy and limitations of gene therapy approaches. The significance of imaging methods for detecting atrial fibrosis and guiding targeted gene delivery is underscored. Activation mapping techniques offer a nuanced understanding of AF-specific mechanisms, enabling tailored gene therapy interventions. Future prospects include the integration of advanced imaging, activation mapping, and percutaneous catheter-based techniques to refine transendocardial gene delivery, with potential applications in both ventricular and atrial contexts. As gene therapy for AF progresses, bridging the translational gap between preclinical models and clinical applications is imperative for the successful implementation of these promising approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Hamza Khan Toru
- Department of Medicine, King's Mill Hospital, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Malik
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cardiovascular Analytics Group, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Arham Iqbal
- Department of Medicine, Dow International Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Jahanzeb Malik
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cardiovascular Analytics Group, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Maria Faraz
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cardiovascular Analytics Group, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Awais
- Department of Cardiology, Islamic International Medical College, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
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Tzeis S, Gerstenfeld EP, Kalman J, Saad EB, Sepehri Shamloo A, Andrade JG, Barbhaiya CR, Baykaner T, Boveda S, Calkins H, Chan NY, Chen M, Chen SA, Dagres N, Damiano RJ, De Potter T, Deisenhofer I, Derval N, Di Biase L, Duytschaever M, Dyrda K, Hindricks G, Hocini M, Kim YH, la Meir M, Merino JL, Michaud GF, Natale A, Nault I, Nava S, Nitta T, O’Neill M, Pak HN, Piccini JP, Pürerfellner H, Reichlin T, Saenz LC, Sanders P, Schilling R, Schmidt B, Supple GE, Thomas KL, Tondo C, Verma A, Wan EY. 2024 European Heart Rhythm Association/Heart Rhythm Society/Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society/Latin American Heart Rhythm Society expert consensus statement on catheter and surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation. Europace 2024; 26:euae043. [PMID: 38587017 PMCID: PMC11000153 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euae043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
In the last three decades, ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) has become an evidence-based safe and efficacious treatment for managing the most common cardiac arrhythmia. In 2007, the first joint expert consensus document was issued, guiding healthcare professionals involved in catheter or surgical AF ablation. Mounting research evidence and technological advances have resulted in a rapidly changing landscape in the field of catheter and surgical AF ablation, thus stressing the need for regularly updated versions of this partnership which were issued in 2012 and 2017. Seven years after the last consensus, an updated document was considered necessary to define a contemporary framework for selection and management of patients considered for or undergoing catheter or surgical AF ablation. This consensus is a joint effort from collaborating cardiac electrophysiology societies, namely the European Heart Rhythm Association, the Heart Rhythm Society, the Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society, and the Latin American Heart Rhythm Society .
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Affiliation(s)
- Stylianos Tzeis
- Department of Cardiology, Mitera Hospital, 6, Erythrou Stavrou Str., Marousi, Athens, PC 151 23, Greece
| | - Edward P Gerstenfeld
- Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Kalman
- Department of Cardiology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne and Baker Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Eduardo B Saad
- Electrophysiology and Pacing, Hospital Samaritano Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Cardiac Arrhythmia Service, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Jason G Andrade
- Department of Medicine, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Tina Baykaner
- Division of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Serge Boveda
- Heart Rhythm Management Department, Clinique Pasteur, Toulouse, France
- Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hugh Calkins
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ngai-Yin Chan
- Department of Medicine and Geriatrics, Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Minglong Chen
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shih-Ann Chen
- Heart Rhythm Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, and Cardiovascular Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | | | - Ralph J Damiano
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Isabel Deisenhofer
- Department of Electrophysiology, German Heart Center Munich, Technical University of Munich (TUM) School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Nicolas Derval
- IHU LIRYC, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Cardiac Electrophysiology and Stimulation Department, Fondation Bordeaux Université and Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac-Bordeaux, France
| | - Luigi Di Biase
- Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | | | - Katia Dyrda
- Department of Medicine, Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Meleze Hocini
- IHU LIRYC, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Cardiac Electrophysiology and Stimulation Department, Fondation Bordeaux Université and Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac-Bordeaux, France
| | - Young-Hoon Kim
- Division of Cardiology, Korea University College of Medicine and Korea University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Mark la Meir
- Cardiac Surgery Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jose Luis Merino
- La Paz University Hospital, Idipaz, Universidad Autonoma, Madrid, Spain
- Hospital Viamed Santa Elena, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Andrea Natale
- Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, St. David’s Medical Center, Austin, TX, USA
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Interventional Electrophysiology, Scripps Clinic, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Division of Cardiology, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Isabelle Nault
- Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Quebec (IUCPQ), Quebec, Canada
| | - Santiago Nava
- Departamento de Electrocardiología, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología ‘Ignacio Chávez’, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Takashi Nitta
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mark O’Neill
- Cardiovascular Directorate, St. Thomas’ Hospital and King’s College, London, UK
| | - Hui-Nam Pak
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | - Tobias Reichlin
- Department of Cardiology, Inselspital Bern, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Luis Carlos Saenz
- International Arrhythmia Center, Cardioinfantil Foundation, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Prashanthan Sanders
- Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders, University of Adelaide and Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
| | | | - Boris Schmidt
- Cardioangiologisches Centrum Bethanien, Medizinische Klinik III, Agaplesion Markuskrankenhaus, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Gregory E Supple
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Section, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Claudio Tondo
- Department of Clinical Electrophysiology and Cardiac Pacing, Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Atul Verma
- McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Elaine Y Wan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
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Rappel WJ, Baykaner T, Zaman J, Ganesan P, Rogers AJ, Narayan SM. Spatially Conserved Spiral Wave Activity During Human Atrial Fibrillation. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2024; 17:e012041. [PMID: 38348685 PMCID: PMC10950516 DOI: 10.1161/circep.123.012041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in the world and increases the risk for stroke and morbidity. During atrial fibrillation, the electric activation fronts are no longer coherently propagating through the tissue and, instead, show rotational activity, consistent with spiral wave activation, focal activity, collision, or partial versions of these spatial patterns. An unexplained phenomenon is that although simulations of cardiac models abundantly demonstrate spiral waves, clinical recordings often show only intermittent spiral wave activity. METHODS In silico data were generated using simulations in which spiral waves were continuously created and annihilated and in simulations in which a spiral wave was intermittently trapped at a heterogeneity. Clinically, spatio-temporal activation maps were constructed using 60 s recordings from a 64 electrode catheter within the atrium of N=34 patients (n=24 persistent atrial fibrillation). The location of clockwise and counterclockwise rotating spiral waves was quantified and all intervals during which these spiral waves were present were determined. For each interval, the angle of rotation as a function of time was computed and used to determine whether the spiral wave returned in step or changed phase at the start of each interval. RESULTS In both simulations, spiral waves did not come back in phase and were out of step." In contrast, spiral waves returned in step in the majority (68%; P=0.05) of patients. Thus, the intermittently observed rotational activity in these patients is due to a temporally and spatially conserved spiral wave and not due to ones that are newly created at the onset of each interval. CONCLUSIONS Intermittency of spiral wave activity represents conserved spiral wave activity of long, but interrupted duration or transient spiral activity, in the majority of patients. This finding could have important ramifications for identifying clinically important forms of atrial fibrillation and in guiding treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tina Baykaner
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto
| | - Junaid Zaman
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
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10
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O’Neill L, De Becker B, Smet MAD, Francois C, Le Polain De Waroux JB, Tavernier R, Duytschaever M, Knecht S. Catheter Ablation of Persistent AF-Where are We Now? Rev Cardiovasc Med 2023; 24:339. [PMID: 39077091 PMCID: PMC11262453 DOI: 10.31083/j.rcm2412339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) is a diverse condition that includes various subtypes and underlying causes of arrhythmia. Progress made in catheter ablation technology in recent years has significantly enhanced the durability of ablation. Despite these advances however, the effectiveness of ablation in treating persistent AF is still relatively modest. Studies exploring the mechanisms behind persistent AF have identified substrate-driven focal and re-entrant sources within the atrial body as crucial in sustaining AF among individuals with persistent AF. Furthermore, the widespread adoption of atrial late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and the ongoing refinement of invasive voltage mapping techniques have allowed for detailed assessment of fibrotic remodelling prior to or at the time of procedure. Translation into clinical practice, however, has yielded overall disappointing results. The clinical application of AF mapping in ablation procedures has not shown any substantial advantages beyond the use of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) alone and adjunct ablation of fibrotic areas has yielded conflicting results in recent randomized trials. The emergence of pulsed field ablation represents a welcome development in the field and several studies have demonstrated an enhanced safety profile and increased procedural efficiency with this non-thermal energy modality. Pulsed field ablation also holds promise for safe and efficient substrate ablation beyond the pulmonary veins, but further trials are needed to assess its impact on longer term success rates. Continued advancements in our comprehension of AF mechanisms, alongside ongoing developments in catheter technology aimed at safe formation of transmural lesions, are essential for achieving better clinical outcomes for patients with persistent AF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louisa O’Neill
- Department of Cardiology, AZ Sint-Jan Hospital, 8000 Bruges, Belgium
- Department of Cardiology, Blackrock Clinic, A94 E4X7 Dublin, Ireland
| | | | | | - Clara Francois
- Department of Cardiology, AZ Sint-Jan Hospital, 8000 Bruges, Belgium
| | | | - Rene Tavernier
- Department of Cardiology, AZ Sint-Jan Hospital, 8000 Bruges, Belgium
| | | | - Sebastien Knecht
- Department of Cardiology, AZ Sint-Jan Hospital, 8000 Bruges, Belgium
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11
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Yadan Z, Jian L, Jian W, Yifu L, Haiying L, Hairui L. An expert review of the inverse problem in electrocardiographic imaging for the non-invasive identification of atrial fibrillation drivers. COMPUTER METHODS AND PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICINE 2023; 240:107676. [PMID: 37343376 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2023.107676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI) has emerged as a non-invasive approach to identify atrial fibrillation (AF) driver sources. This paper aims to collect and review the current research literature on the ECGI inverse problem, summarize the research progress, and propose potential research directions for the future. METHODS AND RESULTS The effectiveness and feasibility of using ECGI to map AF driver sources may be influenced by several factors, such as inaccuracies in the atrial model due to heart movement or deformation, noise interference in high-density body surface potential (BSP), inconvenient and time-consuming BSP acquisition, errors in solving the inverse problem, and incomplete interpretation of the AF driving source information derived from the reconstructed epicardial potential. We review the current research progress on these factors and discuss possible improvement directions. Additionally, we highlight the limitations of ECGI itself, including the lack of a gold standard to validate the accuracy of ECGI technology in locating AF drivers and the challenges associated with guiding AF ablation based on post-processed epicardial potentials due to the intrinsic difference between epicardial and endocardial potentials. CONCLUSIONS Before performing ablation, ECGI can provide operators with predictive information about the underlying locations of AF driver by non-invasively and globally mapping the biatrial electrical activity. In the future, endocardial catheter mapping technology may benefit from the use of ECGI to enhance the diagnosis and ablation of AF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhang Yadan
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Liang Jian
- Fuwai Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Wu Jian
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
| | - Li Yifu
- Fuwai Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Li Haiying
- The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Li Hairui
- The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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12
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Moore BM, Al-Kaisy A, Joshi SB, Lui E, Grigg LE, Kalman JM. Noninvasive ECG imaging of the intrinsic atrial pacemaker and atrial activation in surgically repaired or palliated congenital heart disease. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2023; 34:1859-1868. [PMID: 37526234 DOI: 10.1111/jce.16027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sinus node location, function, and atrial activation are often abnormal in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), due to anatomical, surgical, and acquired factors. We aimed to perform noninvasive electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI) of the intrinsic atrial pacemaker and atrial activation in patients with surgically repaired or palliated CHD, compared with control patients with structurally normal hearts. METHODS AND RESULTS Atrial ECGI was performed in eight CHD patients with prespecified diagnoses (Fontan circulation, dextro transposition of the great arteries post Mustard/Senning, tetralogy of Fallot), and three controls. Activation and propagation maps were constructed in presenting rhythm. Wavefront propagation was analyzed to identify (1) intrinsic atrial pacemaker breakout site, (2) morphological right atrial (RA) activation pattern, (3) morphological left atrial (LA) breakout sites (i.e., interatrial connections), (4) LA activation pattern, and (5) putative lines of block. Physiologically appropriate atrial activation and propagation maps were able to be constructed. In the majority of patients, atrial breakouts were in keeping with the sinus node, observed in a crescent-shaped distribution from the anterior superior vena cava to the posterior RA. Ectopic atrial pacemaker sites were demonstrated in the atriopulmonary (AP) Fontan patient (very diffuse posterolateral RA) and Mustard patient (very posterior RA competing with a low RA focus). RA propagation was laminar in controls, but suggested either a line of block or conduction slowing consistent with an atriotomy scar in the tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) patients. Putative lines of block were more complex and RA propagation more abnormal in the atrial switch and AP Fontan patients, compared with the TOF patients. RA activation in the extracardiac Fontan patients was relatively laminar. Earliest LA breakout was most commonly observed in the region of Bachmann's Bundle in both controls and CHD patients, except for posterior LA breakouts in two patients. LA activation was typically more homogeneous than RA activation in CHD patients. CONCLUSION ECGI can be utilized to create a noninvasive mapping model of atrial activation in postsurgical CHD, demonstrating atrial pacemaker location, putative lines of block and interatrial connections. Once validated invasively, this may have clinical implications in predicting risk of sinus node dysfunction and atrial arrhythmias, or in guiding catheter ablation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin M Moore
- Department of Cardiology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ahmed Al-Kaisy
- Department of Cardiology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Subodh B Joshi
- Department of Cardiology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Elaine Lui
- Department of Medical Imaging, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Radiology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Leanne E Grigg
- Department of Cardiology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jonathan M Kalman
- Department of Cardiology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Leventopoulos G, Koros R, Travlos C, Perperis A, Chronopoulos P, Tsoni E, Koufou EE, Papageorgiou A, Apostolos A, Kaouris P, Davlouros P, Tsigkas G. Mechanisms of Atrial Fibrillation: How Our Knowledge Affects Clinical Practice. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1260. [PMID: 37374043 PMCID: PMC10303005 DOI: 10.3390/life13061260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a very common arrhythmia that mainly affects older individuals. The mechanism of atrial fibrillation is complex and is related to the pathogenesis of trigger activation and the perpetuation of arrhythmia. The pulmonary veins in the left atrium arei confirm that onfirm the most common triggers due to their distinct anatomical and electrophysiological properties. As a result, their electrical isolation by ablation is the cornerstone of invasive AF treatment. Multiple factors and comorbidities affect the atrial tissue and lead to myocardial stretch. Several neurohormonal and structural changes occur, leading to inflammation and oxidative stress and, consequently, a fibrotic substrate created by myofibroblasts, which encourages AF perpetuation. Several mechanisms are implemented into daily clinical practice in both interventions in and the medical treatment of atrial fibrillation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Leventopoulos
- Cardiology Department, University Hospital of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece; (R.K.); (C.T.); (A.P.); (P.C.); (E.T.); (E.-E.K.); (A.P.); (A.A.); (P.K.); (P.D.); (G.T.)
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Hernández-Romero I, Molero R, Fambuena-Santos C, Herrero-Martín C, Climent AM, Guillem MS. Electrocardiographic imaging in the atria. Med Biol Eng Comput 2023; 61:879-896. [PMID: 36370321 PMCID: PMC9988819 DOI: 10.1007/s11517-022-02709-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The inverse problem of electrocardiography or electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI) is a technique for reconstructing electrical information about cardiac surfaces from noninvasive or non-contact recordings. ECGI has been used to characterize atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. Although it is a technology with years of progress, its development to characterize atrial arrhythmias is challenging. Complications can arise when trying to describe the atrial mechanisms that lead to abnormal propagation patterns, premature or tachycardic beats, and reentrant arrhythmias. This review addresses the various ECGI methodologies, regularization methods, and post-processing techniques used in the atria, as well as the context in which they are used. The current advantages and limitations of ECGI in the fields of research and clinical diagnosis of atrial arrhythmias are outlined. In addition, areas where ECGI efforts should be concentrated to address the associated unsatisfied needs from the atrial perspective are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rubén Molero
- ITACA, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
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15
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McGilvray MM, Barron L, Yates TAE, Zemlin CW, Damiano RJ. The Cox-Maze procedure: What lesions and why. JTCVS Tech 2022; 17:84-93. [PMID: 36820335 PMCID: PMC9938393 DOI: 10.1016/j.xjtc.2022.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Martha M.O. McGilvray
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St Louis, Mo
| | - Lauren Barron
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex
| | - Tari-Ann E. Yates
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St Louis, Mo
| | - Christian W. Zemlin
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St Louis, Mo
| | - Ralph J. Damiano
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St Louis, Mo,Address for reprints: Ralph J. Damiano, Jr, MD, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Campus Box 8234, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St Louis, MO 63110.
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16
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Vijayakumar R, Faddis MN, Cuculich PS, Rudy Y. Mechanisms of persistent atrial fibrillation and recurrences within 12 months post-ablation: Non-invasive mapping with electrocardiographic imaging. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:1052195. [PMID: 36518686 PMCID: PMC9742214 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.1052195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Catheter ablation of persistent AF has not been consistently successful in terminating AF or preventing arrhythmia recurrences. Non-invasive Electrocardiographic Imaging (ECGI) can help to understand recurrences by mapping the mechanisms of pre-ablation AF and comparing them with the patterns of recurrent arrhythmias in the same patient. Methods Seventeen persistent AF patients underwent ECGI before their first catheter ablation. Time-domain activation maps and phase progression maps were obtained on the bi-atrial epicardium. Location of arrhythmogenic drivers were annotated on the bi-atrial anatomy. Activation and phase movies were examined to understand the wavefront dynamics during AF. Eight patients recurred within 12 months of ablation and underwent a follow-up ECGI. Driver locations and movies were compared for pre- and post-ablation AF. Results A total of 243 focal drivers were mapped during pre-ablation AF. 62% of the drivers were mapped in the left atrium (LA). The pulmonary vein region harbored most of the drivers (43%). 35% of the drivers were mapped in the right atrium (RA). 59% (10/17) and 53% (9/17) of patients had repetitive sources in the left pulmonary veins (LPV) and left atrial appendage (LAA), and the lower half of RA, respectively. All patients had focal drivers. 29% (5/17) of patients had macro-reentry waves. 24% (4/17) of patients had rotors. Activation patterns during persistent AF varied from single macro-reentry to complex activity with multiple simultaneous wavefronts in both atria, resulting in frequent wave collisions. A total of 76 focal driver activities were mapped in 7/8 patients during recurrence. 59% of the post-ablation AF drivers were mapped in the LA. The pulmonary vein region harbored 50% of total drivers. 39% of sources were mapped in the RA. AF complexity remained similar post-ablation. 58% (44/76) of pre-ablation sources persisted during recurrence. 38% (3/8) of patients had macro-reentry and one patient had rotors. Conclusion ECGI provides patient-specific information on mechanisms of persistent AF and recurrent arrhythmia. More than half pre-ablation sources repeated during post-ablation recurrence. This study provides direct evidence for drivers that persist days and months after the ablation procedure. Patient-tailored bi-atrial ablation is needed to successfully target persistent AF and prevent recurrence. ECGI can potentially predict recurrence and assist in choice of therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramya Vijayakumar
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Mitchell N. Faddis
- Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Phillip S. Cuculich
- Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Yoram Rudy
- Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
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17
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Osorio-Jaramillo E, Cox JL, Klenk S, Kaider A, Angleitner P, Werner P, Strassl A, Mach M, Laufer G, Ehrlich MP, Ad N. Dynamic electrophysiological mechanism in patients with long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:953622. [PMID: 36247427 PMCID: PMC9556291 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.953622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Improved understanding of the mechanisms that sustain persistent and long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (LSpAF) is essential for providing better ablation solutions. The findings of traditional catheter-based electrophysiological studies can be impacted by the sedation required for these procedures. This is not required in non-invasive body-surface mapping (ECGI). ECGI allows for multiple mappings in the same patient at different times. This would expose potential electrophysiological changes over time, such as the location and stability of extra-pulmonary vein drivers and activation patterns in sustained AF. Materials and methods In this electrophysiological study, 10 open-heart surgery candidates with LSpAF, without previous ablation procedures (6 male, median age 73 years), were mapped on two occasions with a median interval of 11 days (IQR: 8–19) between mappings. Bi-atrial epicardial activation sequences were acquired using ECGI (CardioInsight™, Minneapolis, MN, United States). Results Bi-atrial electrophysiological abnormalities were documented in all 20 mappings. Interestingly, the anatomic location of focal and rotor activities changed between the mappings in all patients [100% showed changes, 95%CI (69.2–100%), p < 0.001]. Neither AF driver type nor their number varied significantly between the mappings in any patient (median total number of focal activities 8 (IQR: 1–16) versus 6 (IQR: 2–12), p = 0.68; median total number of rotor activities 48 (IQR: 44–67) versus 55 (IQR: 44–61), p = 0.30). However, individual zones showed a high number of quantitative changes (increase/decrease) of driver activity. Most changes of focal activity were found in the left atrial appendage, the region of the left lower pulmonary vein and the right atrial appendage. Most changes in rotor activity were found also at the left lower pulmonary vein region, the upper half of the right atrium and the right atrial appendage. Conclusion This clinical study documented that driver location and activation patterns in patients with LSpAF changes constantly. Furthermore, bi-atrial pathophysiology was demonstrated, which underscores the importance of treating both atria in LSpAF and the significant role that arrhythmogenic drivers outside the pulmonary veins seem to have in maintaining this complex arrhythmia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilio Osorio-Jaramillo
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- *Correspondence: Emilio Osorio-Jaramillo,
| | - James L. Cox
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Sarah Klenk
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Division of Cardiology, Clinic Favoriten, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexandra Kaider
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Informatics and Intelligent Systems, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Philipp Angleitner
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul Werner
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Strassl
- Division of Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Mach
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Guenther Laufer
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marek P. Ehrlich
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Niv Ad
- Cardiothoracic Surgery, Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
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18
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Abstract
The global burden caused by cardiovascular disease is substantial, with heart disease representing the most common cause of death around the world. There remains a need to develop better mechanistic models of cardiac function in order to combat this health concern. Heart rhythm disorders, or arrhythmias, are one particular type of disease which has been amenable to quantitative investigation. Here we review the application of quantitative methodologies to explore dynamical questions pertaining to arrhythmias. We begin by describing single-cell models of cardiac myocytes, from which two and three dimensional models can be constructed. Special focus is placed on results relating to pattern formation across these spatially-distributed systems, especially the formation of spiral waves of activation. Next, we discuss mechanisms which can lead to the initiation of arrhythmias, focusing on the dynamical state of spatially discordant alternans, and outline proposed mechanisms perpetuating arrhythmias such as fibrillation. We then review experimental and clinical results related to the spatio-temporal mapping of heart rhythm disorders. Finally, we describe treatment options for heart rhythm disorders and demonstrate how statistical physics tools can provide insights into the dynamics of heart rhythm disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wouter-Jan Rappel
- Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
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19
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Krummen DE, Villongco CT, Ho G, Schricker AA, Field ME, Sung K, Kacena KA, Martinson MS, Hoffmayer KS, Hsu JC, Raissi F, Feld GK, McCulloch AD, Han FT. Forward-Solution Noninvasive Computational Arrhythmia Mapping: The VMAP Study. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2022; 15:e010857. [PMID: 36069189 PMCID: PMC9509662 DOI: 10.1161/circep.122.010857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The accuracy of noninvasive arrhythmia source localization using a forward-solution computational mapping system has not yet been evaluated in blinded, multicenter analysis. This study tested the hypothesis that a computational mapping system incorporating a comprehensive arrhythmia simulation library would provide accurate localization of the site-of-origin for atrial and ventricular arrhythmias and pacing using 12-lead ECG data when compared with the gold standard of invasive electrophysiology study and ablation. METHODS The VMAP study (Vectorcardiographic Mapping of Arrhythmogenic Probability) was a blinded, multicenter evaluation with final data analysis performed by an independent core laboratory. Eligible episodes included atrial and ventricular: tachycardia, fibrillation, pacing, premature atrial and ventricular complexes, and orthodromic atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia. Mapping system results were compared with the gold standard site of successful ablation or pacing during electrophysiology study and ablation. Mapping time was assessed from time-stamped logs. Prespecified performance goals were used for statistical comparisons. RESULTS A total of 255 episodes from 225 patients were enrolled from 4 centers. Regional accuracy for ventricular tachycardia and premature ventricular complexes in patients without significant structural heart disease (n=75, primary end point) was 98.7% (95% CI, 96.0%-100%; P<0.001 to reject predefined H0 <0.80). Regional accuracy for all episodes (secondary end point 1) was 96.9% (95% CI, 94.7%-99.0%; P<0.001 to reject predefined H0 <0.75). Accuracy for the exact or neighboring segment for all episodes (secondary end point 2) was 97.3% (95% CI, 95.2%-99.3%; P<0.001 to reject predefined H0 <0.70). Median spatial accuracy was 15 mm (n=255, interquartile range, 7-25 mm). The mapping process was completed in a median of 0.8 minutes (interquartile range, 0.4-1.4 minutes). CONCLUSIONS Computational ECG mapping using a forward-solution approach exceeded prespecified accuracy goals for arrhythmia and pacing localization. Spatial accuracy analysis demonstrated clinically actionable results. This rapid, noninvasive mapping technology may facilitate catheter-based and noninvasive targeted arrhythmia therapies. REGISTRATION URL: https://www. CLINICALTRIALS gov; Unique identifier: NCT04559061.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E. Krummen
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego
| | | | - Gordon Ho
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego
| | | | | | - Kevin Sung
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
| | | | | | - Kurt S. Hoffmayer
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego
| | - Jonathan C. Hsu
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
| | - Farshad Raissi
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
| | - Gregory K. Feld
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
| | - Andrew D. McCulloch
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
| | - Frederick T. Han
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego
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20
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DG-Mapping: a novel software package for the analysis of any type of reentry and focal activation of simulated, experimental or clinical data of cardiac arrhythmia. Med Biol Eng Comput 2022; 60:1929-1945. [DOI: 10.1007/s11517-022-02550-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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21
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Feng Y, Roney CH, Bayer JD, Niederer SA, Hocini M, Vigmond EJ. Detection of focal source and arrhythmogenic substrate from body surface potentials to guide atrial fibrillation ablation. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1009893. [PMID: 35312675 PMCID: PMC8970486 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Focal sources (FS) are believed to be important triggers and a perpetuation mechanism for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). Detecting FS and determining AF sustainability in atrial tissue can help guide ablation targeting. We hypothesized that sustained rotors during FS-driven episodes indicate an arrhythmogenic substrate for sustained AF, and that non-invasive electrical recordings, like electrocardiograms (ECGs) or body surface potential maps (BSPMs), could be used to detect FS and AF sustainability. Computer simulations were performed on five bi-atrial geometries. FS were induced by pacing at cycle lengths of 120-270 ms from 32 atrial sites and four pulmonary veins. Self-sustained reentrant activities were also initiated around the same 32 atrial sites with inexcitable cores of radii of 0, 0.5 and 1 cm. FS fired for two seconds and then AF inducibility was tested by whether activation was sustained for another second. ECGs and BSPMs were simulated. Equivalent atrial sources were extracted using second-order blind source separation, and their cycle length, periodicity and contribution, were used as features for random forest classifiers. Longer rotor duration during FS-driven episodes indicates higher AF inducibility (area under ROC curve = 0.83). Our method had accuracy of 90.6±1.0% and 90.6±0.6% in detecting FS presence, and 93.1±0.6% and 94.2±1.2% in identifying AF sustainability, and 80.0±6.6% and 61.0±5.2% in determining the atrium of the focal site, from BSPMs and ECGs of five atria. The detection of FS presence and AF sustainability were insensitive to vest placement (±9.6%). On pre-operative BSPMs of 52 paroxysmal AF patients, patients classified with initiator-type FS on a single atrium resulted in improved two-to-three-year AF-free likelihoods (p-value < 0.01, logrank tests). Detection of FS and arrhythmogenic substrate can be performed from ECGs and BSPMs, enabling non-invasive mapping towards mechanism-targeted AF treatment, and malignant ectopic beat detection with likely AF progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingjing Feng
- IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, fondation Bordeaux Université, Pessac-Bordeaux, France
- Univ. Bordeaux, IMB, UMR 5251, Talence, France
| | - Caroline H. Roney
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jason D. Bayer
- IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, fondation Bordeaux Université, Pessac-Bordeaux, France
- Univ. Bordeaux, IMB, UMR 5251, Talence, France
| | - Steven A. Niederer
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mélèze Hocini
- IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, fondation Bordeaux Université, Pessac-Bordeaux, France
- Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Electrophysiology and Ablation Unit, Pessac, France
| | - Edward J. Vigmond
- IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, fondation Bordeaux Université, Pessac-Bordeaux, France
- Univ. Bordeaux, IMB, UMR 5251, Talence, France
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22
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Lee JMS, Nelson TA, Clayton RH, Kelland NF. Characterization of persistent atrial fibrillation with non-contact charge density mapping and relationship to voltage. J Arrhythm 2022; 38:77-85. [PMID: 35222753 PMCID: PMC8851595 DOI: 10.1002/joa3.12661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite studies using localized high density contact mapping and lower resolution panoramic approaches, the mechanisms that sustain human persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) remain unresolved. Voltage mapping is commonly employed as a surrogate of atrial substrate to guide ablation procedures. OBJECTIVE To study the distribution and temporal stability of activation during persistent AF using a global non-contact charge density approach and compare the findings with bipolar contact mapping. METHODS Patients undergoing either redo or de novo ablation for persistent AF underwent charge density and voltage mapping to guide the ablation procedure. Offline analysis was performed to measure the temporal stability of three specific charge density activation (CDA) patterns, and the degree of spatial overlap between CDA patterns and low voltage regions. RESULTS CDA was observed in patient-specific locations that partially overlapped, comprising local rotational activity (18% of LA), local irregular activity (41% of LA), and focal activity (39% of LA). Local irregular activity had the highest temporal stability. LA voltage was similar in regions with and without CDA. CONCLUSION In persistent AF, CDA patterns appear unrelated to low voltage areas but occur in varying locations with high temporal stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin M. S. Lee
- Department of CardiologySheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustSheffieldUK
- INSIGNEO Institute of In Silico MedicineUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Thomas A. Nelson
- Department of CardiologySheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustSheffieldUK
- INSIGNEO Institute of In Silico MedicineUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Richard H. Clayton
- INSIGNEO Institute of In Silico MedicineUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
- Department of Computer ScienceUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
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23
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de Groot NMS, Shah D, Boyle PM, Anter E, Clifford GD, Deisenhofer I, Deneke T, van Dessel P, Doessel O, Dilaveris P, Heinzel FR, Kapa S, Lambiase PD, Lumens J, Platonov PG, Ngarmukos T, Martinez JP, Sanchez AO, Takahashi Y, Valdigem BP, van der Veen AJ, Vernooy K, Casado-Arroyo Co-Chair R. Critical appraisal of technologies to assess electrical activity during atrial fibrillation: a position paper from the European Heart Rhythm Association and European Society of Cardiology Working Group on eCardiology in collaboration with the Heart Rhythm Society, Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society, Latin American Heart Rhythm Society and Computing in Cardiology. Europace 2021; 24:313-330. [PMID: 34878119 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euab254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We aim to provide a critical appraisal of basic concepts underlying signal recording and processing technologies applied for (i) atrial fibrillation (AF) mapping to unravel AF mechanisms and/or identifying target sites for AF therapy and (ii) AF detection, to optimize usage of technologies, stimulate research aimed at closing knowledge gaps, and developing ideal AF recording and processing technologies. Recording and processing techniques for assessment of electrical activity during AF essential for diagnosis and guiding ablative therapy including body surface electrocardiograms (ECG) and endo- or epicardial electrograms (EGM) are evaluated. Discussion of (i) differences in uni-, bi-, and multi-polar (omnipolar/Laplacian) recording modes, (ii) impact of recording technologies on EGM morphology, (iii) global or local mapping using various types of EGM involving signal processing techniques including isochronal-, voltage- fractionation-, dipole density-, and rotor mapping, enabling derivation of parameters like atrial rate, entropy, conduction velocity/direction, (iv) value of epicardial and optical mapping, (v) AF detection by cardiac implantable electronic devices containing various detection algorithms applicable to stored EGMs, (vi) contribution of machine learning (ML) to further improvement of signals processing technologies. Recording and processing of EGM (or ECG) are the cornerstones of (body surface) mapping of AF. Currently available AF recording and processing technologies are mainly restricted to specific applications or have technological limitations. Improvements in AF mapping by obtaining highest fidelity source signals (e.g. catheter-electrode combinations) for signal processing (e.g. filtering, digitization, and noise elimination) is of utmost importance. Novel acquisition instruments (multi-polar catheters combined with improved physical modelling and ML techniques) will enable enhanced and automated interpretation of EGM recordings in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasja M S de Groot
- Department of Cardiology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Delft University of Technology, Delft the Netherlands
| | - Dipen Shah
- Cardiology Service, University Hospitals Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Patrick M Boyle
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Elad Anter
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Section, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Gari D Clifford
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Emory University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, USA
| | - Isabel Deisenhofer
- Department of Electrophysiology, German Heart Center Munich and Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Deneke
- Department of Cardiology, Rhon-klinikum Campus Bad Neustadt, Germany
| | - Pascal van Dessel
- Department of Cardiology, Medisch Spectrum Twente, Twente, the Netherlands
| | - Olaf Doessel
- Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Polychronis Dilaveris
- 1st University Department of Cardiology, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, Hippokration Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Frank R Heinzel
- Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum and DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Berlin, Germany
| | - Suraj Kapa
- Department of Cardiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA
| | | | - Joost Lumens
- Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM) Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Pyotr G Platonov
- Department of Cardiology, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Tachapong Ngarmukos
- Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Juan Pablo Martinez
- Aragon Institute of Engineering Research/IIS-Aragon and University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain, CIBER Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Alejandro Olaya Sanchez
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital San José, Fundacion Universitaia de Ciencas de la Salud, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Yoshihide Takahashi
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Bruno P Valdigem
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Rede D'or São Luiz, hospital Albert einstein and Dante pazzanese heart institute, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Alle-Jan van der Veen
- Department Circuits and Systems, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Kevin Vernooy
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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24
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Bergquist J, Rupp L, Zenger B, Brundage J, Busatto A, MacLeod RS. Body Surface Potential Mapping: Contemporary Applications and Future Perspectives. HEARTS 2021; 2:514-542. [PMID: 35665072 PMCID: PMC9164986 DOI: 10.3390/hearts2040040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Body surface potential mapping (BSPM) is a noninvasive modality to assess cardiac bioelectric activity with a rich history of practical applications for both research and clinical investigation. BSPM provides comprehensive acquisition of bioelectric signals across the entire thorax, allowing for more complex and extensive analysis than the standard electrocardiogram (ECG). Despite its advantages, BSPM is not a common clinical tool. BSPM does, however, serve as a valuable research tool and as an input for other modes of analysis such as electrocardiographic imaging and, more recently, machine learning and artificial intelligence. In this report, we examine contemporary uses of BSPM, and provide an assessment of its future prospects in both clinical and research environments. We assess the state of the art of BSPM implementations and explore modern applications of advanced modeling and statistical analysis of BSPM data. We predict that BSPM will continue to be a valuable research tool, and will find clinical utility at the intersection of computational modeling approaches and artificial intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake Bergquist
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Lindsay Rupp
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Brian Zenger
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - James Brundage
- School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Anna Busatto
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Rob S. MacLeod
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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25
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Cámara-Vázquez MÁ, Hernández-Romero I, Morgado-Reyes E, Guillem MS, Climent AM, Barquero-Pérez O. Non-invasive Estimation of Atrial Fibrillation Driver Position With Convolutional Neural Networks and Body Surface Potentials. Front Physiol 2021; 12:733449. [PMID: 34721065 PMCID: PMC8552066 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.733449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is characterized by complex and irregular propagation patterns, and AF onset locations and drivers responsible for its perpetuation are the main targets for ablation procedures. ECG imaging (ECGI) has been demonstrated as a promising tool to identify AF drivers and guide ablation procedures, being able to reconstruct the electrophysiological activity on the heart surface by using a non-invasive recording of body surface potentials (BSP). However, the inverse problem of ECGI is ill-posed, and it requires accurate mathematical modeling of both atria and torso, mainly from CT or MR images. Several deep learning-based methods have been proposed to detect AF, but most of the AF-based studies do not include the estimation of ablation targets. In this study, we propose to model the location of AF drivers from BSP as a supervised classification problem using convolutional neural networks (CNN). Accuracy in the test set ranged between 0.75 (SNR = 5 dB) and 0.93 (SNR = 20 dB upward) when assuming time independence, but it worsened to 0.52 or lower when dividing AF models into blocks. Therefore, CNN could be a robust method that could help to non-invasively identify target regions for ablation in AF by using body surface potential mapping, avoiding the use of ECGI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Ángel Cámara-Vázquez
- Department of Signal Theory and Communications, Telematic Systems and Computation, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ismael Hernández-Romero
- Department of Signal Theory and Communications, Telematic Systems and Computation, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eduardo Morgado-Reyes
- Department of Signal Theory and Communications, Telematic Systems and Computation, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria S Guillem
- ITACA Institute, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Andreu M Climent
- ITACA Institute, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Oscar Barquero-Pérez
- Department of Signal Theory and Communications, Telematic Systems and Computation, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain.,ITACA Institute, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
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Yoo S, Geist GE, Pfenniger A, Rottmann M, Arora R. Recent advances in gene therapy for atrial fibrillation. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2021; 32:2854-2864. [PMID: 34053133 PMCID: PMC9281901 DOI: 10.1111/jce.15116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common heart rhythm disorder in adults and a major cause of stroke. Unfortunately, current treatments for AF are suboptimal as they are not targeting the molecular mechanisms underlying AF. In this regard, gene therapy is emerging as a promising approach for mechanism-based treatment of AF. In this review, we summarize recent advances and challenges in gene therapy for this important cardiovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin Yoo
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Northwestern University-Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Gail Elizabeth Geist
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Northwestern University-Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Anna Pfenniger
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Northwestern University-Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Markus Rottmann
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Northwestern University-Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Rishi Arora
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Northwestern University-Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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27
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O’Neill L, Wielandts JY, Gillis K, Hilfiker G, Le Polain De Waroux JB, Tavernier R, Duytschaever M, Knecht S. Catheter Ablation in Persistent AF, the Evolution towards a More Pragmatic Strategy. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10184060. [PMID: 34575173 PMCID: PMC8467025 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10184060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia worldwide and represents a heterogeneous disorder with a complex pathological basis. While significant technological advances have taken place over the last decade in the field of catheter ablation of AF, response to ablation varies and long-term success rates in those with persistent AF remain modest. Mechanistic studies have highlighted potentially different sustaining factors for AF in the persistent AF population with substrate-driven focal and re-entrant sources in the body of the atria identified on invasive and non-invasive mapping studies. Translation to clinical practice, however, remains challenging and the application of such mapping techniques to clinical ablation has yet to demonstrate a significant benefit beyond pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) alone in the persistent AF cohort. Recent advances in catheter and ablation technology have centered on improving the durability of ablation lesions at index procedure and although encouraging results have been demonstrated with early studies, large-scale trials are awaited. Further meaningful improvement in clinical outcomes in the persistent AF population requires ongoing advancement in the understanding of AF mechanisms, coupled with continuing progress in catheter technology capable of delivering durable transmural lesions.
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Cycle Length Evaluation in Persistent Atrial Fibrillation Using Kernel Density Estimation to Identify Transient and Stable Rapid Atrial Activity. Cardiovasc Eng Technol 2021; 13:219-233. [PMID: 34453278 PMCID: PMC9114079 DOI: 10.1007/s13239-021-00568-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Left atrial (LA) rapid AF activity has been shown to co-localise with areas of successful atrial fibrillation termination by catheter ablation. We describe a technique that identifies rapid and regular activity. Methods Eight-second AF electrograms were recorded from LA regions during ablation for psAF. Local activation was annotated manually on bipolar signals and where these were of poor quality, we inspected unipolar signals. Dominant cycle length (DCL) was calculated from annotation pairs representing a single activation interval, using a probability density function (PDF) with kernel density estimation. Cumulative annotation duration compared to total segment length defined electrogram quality. DCL results were compared to dominant frequency (DF) and averaging. Results In total 507 8 s AF segments were analysed from 7 patients. Spearman’s correlation coefficient was 0.758 between independent annotators (P < 0.001), 0.837–0.94 between 8 s and ≥ 4 s segments (P < 0.001), 0.541 between DCL and DF (P < 0.001), and 0.79 between DCL and averaging (P < 0.001). Poorer segment organization gave greater errors between DCL and DF. Conclusion DCL identifies rapid atrial activity that may represent psAF drivers. This study uses DCL as a tool to evaluate the dynamic, patient specific properties of psAF by identifying rapid and regular activity. If automated, this technique could rapidly identify areas for ablation in psAF.
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29
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Schotten U, Lee S, Zeemering S, Waldo AL. Paradigm shifts in electrophysiological mechanisms of atrial fibrillation. Europace 2021; 23:ii9-ii13. [PMID: 33837750 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euaa384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Determining the sequence of activation is a major source of information for understanding the electrophysiological mechanism(s) of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the complex morphology of the electrograms hampers their analysis, and has stimulated generations of electrophysiologists to develop a large variety of technologies for recording, pre-processing, and analysis of fibrillation electrograms. This variability of approaches is mirrored by a large variability in the interpretation of fibrillation electrograms and, thereby, opinions regarding the basic electrophysiological mechanism(s) of AF vary widely. Multiple wavelets, different types of re-entry including rotors, double layers, multiple focal activation patterns all have been advocated, and a comprehensive and commonly accepted paradigm for the fundamental mechanisms of AF is still lacking. Here, we summarize the Maastricht perspective and Cleveland perspective regarding AF mechanism(s). We also describe some of the key observations in mapping of AF reported over the past decades, and how they changed over the years, often as results of new techniques introduced in the experimental field of AF research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Schotten
- Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Universiteitssingel 50 6229 ER, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Seungyup Lee
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Stef Zeemering
- Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Universiteitssingel 50 6229 ER, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Albert L Waldo
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
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Maesen B, Luermans JGLM, Bidar E, Chaldoupi SM, Gelsomino S, Maessen JG, Pison L, Meir ML. A hybrid approach to complex arrhythmias. Europace 2021; 23:ii28-ii33. [PMID: 33837755 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euab027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite many years of research, the different aspects of the mechanism of atrial fibrillation (AF) are still incompletely understood. And although the latest guidelines recommend catheter ablation with pulmonary vein isolation as a rhythm control strategy, long-term results in persistent and long-standing persistent AF are suboptimal. Historically, a mechanistic-based patient-tailored approach for the treatment of AF was impossible because of the lack real-time mapping techniques and advanced ablation tools. Therefore, surgeons created lesion sets based upon the anatomy of both atria and the safety of the incisions made by the knife. These complex open-heart procedures had to be performed through a sternotomy on the arrested heart and where therefore not generally adopted. The use of controlled energy sources such as cryothermy and radiofrequency where the first step to make the creation of these lesions less complex. With the development and improvement of electrophysiology techniques and catheters, this invasive and solely anatomical approach could again be partially redesigned. Now less invasive, it prepared the way for collaboration between electrophysiologists working on the endocardial side of the heart and cardiac surgeons providing epicardial access. The introduction of video-assisted technology and hybrid procedures has further increased the possibilities of new successful therapies. Now more than 40 years since the beginning of this exciting maze of AF procedures and still working towards a less aggressive and more comprehensive approach we give an overview of the history of the different minimally invasive surgical solutions and of the hybrid approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Maesen
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Justin G L M Luermans
- Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Department of Cardiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Elham Bidar
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Sevasti-Maria Chaldoupi
- Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Department of Cardiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Sandro Gelsomino
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Jos G Maessen
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Mark La Meir
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, UZ Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
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31
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Quintanilla JG, Shpun S, Jalife J, Filgueiras-Rama D. Novel approaches to mechanism-based atrial fibrillation ablation. Cardiovasc Res 2021; 117:1662-1681. [PMID: 33744913 PMCID: PMC8208747 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvab108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Modern cardiac electrophysiology has reported significant advances in the understanding of mechanisms underlying complex wave propagation patterns during atrial fibrillation (AF), although disagreements remain. One school of thought adheres to the long-held postulate that AF is the result of randomly propagating wavelets that wonder throughout the atria. Another school supports the notion that AF is deterministic in that it depends on a small number of high-frequency rotors generating three-dimensional scroll waves that propagate throughout the atria. The spiralling waves are thought to interact with anatomic and functional obstacles, leading to fragmentation and new wavelet formation associated with the irregular activation patterns documented on AF tracings. The deterministic hypothesis is consistent with demonstrable hierarchical gradients of activation frequency and AF termination on ablation at specific (non-random) atrial regions. During the last decade, data from realistic animal models and pilot clinical series have triggered a new era of novel methodologies to identify and ablate AF drivers outside the pulmonary veins. New generation electroanatomical mapping systems and multielectrode mapping catheters, complimented by powerful mathematical analyses, have generated the necessary platforms and tools for moving these approaches into clinical procedures. Recent clinical data using such platforms have provided encouraging evidence supporting the feasibility of targeting and effectively ablating driver regions in addition to pulmonary vein isolation in persistent AF. Here, we review state-of-the-art technologies and provide a comprehensive historical perspective, characterization, classification, and expected outcomes of current mechanism-based methods for AF ablation. We discuss also the challenges and expected future directions that scientists and clinicians will face in their efforts to understand AF dynamics and successfully implement any novel method into regular clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge G Quintanilla
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Myocardial Pathophysiology Area, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Cardiovascular Institute, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - José Jalife
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Myocardial Pathophysiology Area, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - David Filgueiras-Rama
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Myocardial Pathophysiology Area, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Cardiovascular Institute, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
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32
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Rosa GL, Quintanilla JG, Salgado R, González-Ferrer JJ, Cañadas-Godoy V, Pérez-Villacastín J, Pérez-Castellano N, Jalife J, Filgueiras-Rama D. Mapping Technologies for Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation Beyond Pulmonary Vein Isolation. Eur Cardiol 2021; 16:e21. [PMID: 34093742 PMCID: PMC8157391 DOI: 10.15420/ecr.2020.39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Catheter ablation remains the most effective and relatively minimally invasive therapy for rhythm control in patients with AF. Ablation has consistently shown a reduction of arrhythmia-related symptoms and significant improvement in patients’ quality of life compared with medical treatment. The ablation strategy relies on a well-established anatomical approach of effective pulmonary vein isolation. Additional anatomical targets have been reported with the aim of increasing procedure success in complex substrates. However, larger ablated areas with uncertainty of targeting relevant regions for AF initiation or maintenance are not exempt from the potential risk of complications and pro-arrhythmia. Recent developments in mapping tools and computational methods for advanced signal processing during AF have reported novel strategies to identify atrial regions associated with AF maintenance. These novel tools – although mainly limited to research series – represent a significant step forward towards the understanding of complex patterns of propagation during AF and the potential achievement of patient-tailored AF ablation strategies for the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio La Rosa
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Myocardial Pathophysiology Area Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Cardiovascular Institute Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge G Quintanilla
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Myocardial Pathophysiology Area Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Cardiovascular Institute Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV) Madrid, Spain
| | - Ricardo Salgado
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Cardiovascular Institute Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan José González-Ferrer
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Cardiovascular Institute Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV) Madrid, Spain
| | - Victoria Cañadas-Godoy
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Cardiovascular Institute Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV) Madrid, Spain
| | - Julián Pérez-Villacastín
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Cardiovascular Institute Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV) Madrid, Spain.,Fundación Interhospitalaria para la Investigación Cardiovascular (FIC) Madrid, Spain
| | - Nicasio Pérez-Castellano
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Cardiovascular Institute Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV) Madrid, Spain.,Fundación Interhospitalaria para la Investigación Cardiovascular (FIC) Madrid, Spain
| | - José Jalife
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Myocardial Pathophysiology Area Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV) Madrid, Spain
| | - David Filgueiras-Rama
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Myocardial Pathophysiology Area Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Cardiovascular Institute Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV) Madrid, Spain
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Van Nieuwenhuyse E, Martinez-Mateu L, Saiz J, Panfilov AV, Vandersickel N. Directed graph mapping exceeds phase mapping in discriminating true and false rotors detected with a basket catheter in a complex in-silico excitation pattern. Comput Biol Med 2021; 133:104381. [PMID: 33901713 PMCID: PMC8204274 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2021.104381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequently encountered arrhythmia in clinical practise. One of the major problems in the management of AF is the difficulty in identifying the arrhythmia sources from clinical recordings. That difficulty occurs because it is currently impossible to verify algorithms which determine these sources in clinical data, as high resolution true excitation patterns cannot be recorded in patients. Therefore, alternative approaches, like computer modelling are of great interest. In a recent published study such an approach was applied for the verification of one of the most commonly used algorithms, phase mapping (PM). A meandering rotor was simulated in the right atrium and a basket catheter was placed at 3 different locations: at the Superior Vena Cava (SVC), the Crista Terminalis (CT) and at the Coronary Sinus (CS). It was shown that although PM can identify the true source, it also finds several false sources due to the far-field effects and interpolation errors in all three positions. In addition, the detection efficiency strongly depended on the basket location. Recently, a novel tool was developed to analyse any arrhythmia called Directed Graph Mapping (DGM). DGM is based on network theory and creates a directed graph of the excitation pattern, from which the location and the source of the arrhythmia can be detected. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to compare the efficiency of DGM with PM on the basket dataset of this meandering rotor. The DGM-tool was applied for a wide variety of conduction velocities (minimal and maximal), which are input parameters of DGM. Overall we found that DGM was able to distinguish between the true rotor and false rotors for both the SVC and CT basket positions. For example, for the SVC position with a CVmin=0.01cmms, DGM detected the true core with a prevalence of 82% versus 94% for PM. Three false rotors where detected for 39.16% (DGM) versus 100% (PM); 22.64% (DGM) versus 100% (PM); and 0% (DGM) versus 57% (PM). Increasing CVmin to 0.02cmms had a stronger effect on the false rotors than on the true rotor. This led to a detection rate of 56.6% for the true rotor, while all the other false rotors disappeared. A similar trend was observed for the CT position. For the CS position, DGM already had a low performance for the true rotor for CVmin=0.01cmms (14.7%). For CVmin=0.02cmms the false and the true rotors could therefore not be distinguished. We can conclude that DGM can overcome some of the limitations of PM by varying one of its input parameters (CVmin). The true rotor is less dependent on this parameter than the false rotors, which disappear at a CVmin=0.02cmms. In order to increase to detection rate of the true rotor, one can decrease CVmin and discard the new rotors which also appear at lower values of CVmin.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Martinez-Mateu
- Departamento de Teoría de La Señal y Las Comunicaciones y Sistemas Telemáticos y Computación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Saiz
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Alexander V Panfilov
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia; World-Class Research Center "Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare", Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nele Vandersickel
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Salinet J, Molero R, Schlindwein FS, Karel J, Rodrigo M, Rojo-Álvarez JL, Berenfeld O, Climent AM, Zenger B, Vanheusden F, Paredes JGS, MacLeod R, Atienza F, Guillem MS, Cluitmans M, Bonizzi P. Electrocardiographic Imaging for Atrial Fibrillation: A Perspective From Computer Models and Animal Experiments to Clinical Value. Front Physiol 2021; 12:653013. [PMID: 33995122 PMCID: PMC8120164 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.653013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI) is a technique to reconstruct non-invasively the electrical activity on the heart surface from body-surface potential recordings and geometric information of the torso and the heart. ECGI has shown scientific and clinical value when used to characterize and treat both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. Regarding atrial fibrillation (AF), the characterization of the electrical propagation and the underlying substrate favoring AF is inherently more challenging than for ventricular arrhythmias, due to the progressive and heterogeneous nature of the disease and its manifestation, the small volume and wall thickness of the atria, and the relatively large role of microstructural abnormalities in AF. At the same time, ECGI has the advantage over other mapping technologies of allowing a global characterization of atrial electrical activity at every atrial beat and non-invasively. However, since ECGI is time-consuming and costly and the use of electrical mapping to guide AF ablation is still not fully established, the clinical value of ECGI for AF is still under assessment. Nonetheless, AF is known to be the manifestation of a complex interaction between electrical and structural abnormalities and therefore, true electro-anatomical-structural imaging may elucidate important key factors of AF development, progression, and treatment. Therefore, it is paramount to identify which clinical questions could be successfully addressed by ECGI when it comes to AF characterization and treatment, and which questions may be beyond its technical limitations. In this manuscript we review the questions that researchers have tried to address on the use of ECGI for AF characterization and treatment guidance (for example, localization of AF triggers and sustaining mechanisms), and we discuss the technological requirements and validation. We address experimental and clinical results, limitations, and future challenges for fruitful application of ECGI for AF understanding and management. We pay attention to existing techniques and clinical application, to computer models and (animal or human) experiments, to challenges of methodological and clinical validation. The overall objective of the study is to provide a consensus on valuable directions that ECGI research may take to provide future improvements in AF characterization and treatment guidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Salinet
- Biomedical Engineering, Centre for Engineering, Modelling and Applied Social Sciences (CECS), Federal University of ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil
| | - Rubén Molero
- ITACA Institute, Universitat Politècnica de València, València, Spain
| | - Fernando S. Schlindwein
- School of Engineering, University of Leicester, United Kingdom and National Institute for Health Research, Leicester Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Centre, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Joël Karel
- Department of Data Science and Knowledge Engineering, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Miguel Rodrigo
- Electronic Engineering Department, Universitat de València, València, Spain
| | - José Luis Rojo-Álvarez
- Department of Signal Theory and Communications and Telematic Systems and Computation, University Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Omer Berenfeld
- Center for Arrhythmia Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Andreu M. Climent
- ITACA Institute, Universitat Politècnica de València, València, Spain
| | - Brian Zenger
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute (SCI), and Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute (CVRTI), The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Frederique Vanheusden
- Department of Engineering, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Jimena Gabriela Siles Paredes
- Biomedical Engineering, Centre for Engineering, Modelling and Applied Social Sciences (CECS), Federal University of ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil
| | - Rob MacLeod
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute (SCI), and Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute (CVRTI), The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Felipe Atienza
- Cardiology Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, and Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - María S. Guillem
- ITACA Institute, Universitat Politècnica de València, València, Spain
| | - Matthijs Cluitmans
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Pietro Bonizzi
- Department of Data Science and Knowledge Engineering, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
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Lee S, Khrestian CM, Sahadevan J, Markowitz A, Waldo AL. New Insights Into Understanding Rotor Versus Focal Activation in Patients With Persistent Atrial Fibrillation. JACC Clin Electrophysiol 2021; 7:909-919. [PMID: 33640352 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacep.2020.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study was to test the hypotheses that: 1) when using phase analysis, repetitive Wannabe re-entry produces a phase singularity point (i.e., a rotor); and 2) the location of the stable rotor is close to the focal source. BACKGROUND Recent contact mapping studies in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) demonstrated that phase analysis produced a different mechanistic result than classical activation sequence analysis. Our studies in patients with persistent AF showed that focal sources sometimes produced repetitive Wannabe re-entry, that is, incomplete re-entry. METHODS During open heart surgery, we recorded activation from both atria simultaneously using 510 to 512 electrodes in 12 patients with persistent AF. We performed activation sequence mapping and phase analyses on 4 s of mapped data. For each detected stable rotor (>2 full rotations [720°] recurring at the same site), the corresponding activation patterns were examined from the activation sequence maps. RESULTS During AF, phase singularity points (rotors) were identified in both atria in all patients. However, stable phase singularity points were only present in 6 of 12 patients. The range of stable phase singularity points per patient was 0 to 6 (total 14). Stable phase singularity points were produced due to repetitive Wannabe re-entry generated from a focal source or by passive activation. A conduction block sometimes created a stable phase singularity point (n = 2). The average distance between a focal source and a stable rotor was 0.9 ± 0.3 cm. CONCLUSIONS Repetitive Wannabe re-entry generated stable rotors adjacent to a focal source. No true re-entry occurred.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungyup Lee
- Departments of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Celeen M Khrestian
- Departments of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Jayakumar Sahadevan
- Departments of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Alan Markowitz
- Valve Center, Harrington Heart and Vascular Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Albert L Waldo
- Departments of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
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Shi R, Chen Z, Pope MTB, Zaman JAB, Debney M, Marinelli A, Boyalla V, Sathishkumar A, Karim N, Cantor E, Valli H, Haldar S, Jones DG, Hussain W, Markides V, Betts TR, Wong T. Individualized ablation strategy to treat persistent atrial fibrillation: Core-to-boundary approach guided by charge-density mapping. Heart Rhythm 2021; 18:862-870. [PMID: 33610744 DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2021.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Noncontact charge-density mapping allows rapid real-time global mapping of atrial fibrillation (AF), offering the opportunity for a personalized ablation strategy. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to compare the 2-year outcome of an individualized strategy consisting of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) plus core-to-boundary ablation (targeting the conduction pattern core with an extension to the nearest nonconducting boundary) guided by charge-density mapping, with an empirical PVI plus posterior wall electrical isolation (PWI) strategy. METHODS Forty patients (age 62 ± 12 years; 29 male) with persistent AF (10 ± 5 months) prospectively underwent charge-density mapping-guided PVI, followed by core-to-boundary stepwise ablation until termination of AF or depletion of identified cores. Freedom from AF/atrial tachycardia (AT) at 24 months was compared with a propensity score-matched control group of 80 patients with empirical PVI + PWI guided by conventional contact mapping. RESULTS Acute AF termination occurred in 8 of 40 patients after charge-density mapping-guided PVI alone and in 21 of the remaining 32 patients after core-to-boundary ablation in the study cohort, compared with 8 of 80 (10%) in the control cohort (P <.001). On average, 2.2 ± 0.6 cores were ablated post-PVI before acute AF termination. At 24 months, freedom from AF/AT after a single procedure was 68% in the study group vs 46% in the control group (P = .043). CONCLUSION An individualized ablation strategy consisting of PVI plus core-to-boundary ablation guided by noncontact charge-density mapping is a feasible and effective strategy for treating persistent AF, with a favorable 24-month outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Shi
- Heart Rhythm Centre, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, Part of Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Zhong Chen
- Heart Rhythm Centre, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, Part of Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael T B Pope
- Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Junaid A B Zaman
- Heart Rhythm Centre, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, Part of Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mike Debney
- Heart Rhythm Centre, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, Part of Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alessio Marinelli
- Heart Rhythm Centre, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, Part of Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Vennela Boyalla
- Heart Rhythm Centre, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, Part of Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anitha Sathishkumar
- Heart Rhythm Centre, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, Part of Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nabeela Karim
- Heart Rhythm Centre, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, Part of Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emily Cantor
- Heart Rhythm Centre, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, Part of Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Haseeb Valli
- Heart Rhythm Centre, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, Part of Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Shouvik Haldar
- Heart Rhythm Centre, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, Part of Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - David G Jones
- Heart Rhythm Centre, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, Part of Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Wajid Hussain
- Heart Rhythm Centre, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, Part of Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Vias Markides
- Heart Rhythm Centre, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, Part of Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy R Betts
- Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Tom Wong
- Heart Rhythm Centre, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, Part of Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
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Cámara-Vázquez MÁ, Hernández-Romero I, Rodrigo M, Alonso-Atienza F, Figuera C, Morgado-Reyes E, Atienza F, Guillem MS, Climent AM, Barquero-Pérez Ó. Electrocardiographic imaging including intracardiac information to achieve accurate global mapping during atrial fibrillation. Biomed Signal Process Control 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bspc.2020.102354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Christoph J, Lebert J. Inverse mechano-electrical reconstruction of cardiac excitation wave patterns from mechanical deformation using deep learning. CHAOS (WOODBURY, N.Y.) 2020; 30:123134. [PMID: 33380038 DOI: 10.1063/5.0023751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The inverse mechano-electrical problem in cardiac electrophysiology is the attempt to reconstruct electrical excitation or action potential wave patterns from the heart's mechanical deformation that occurs in response to electrical excitation. Because heart muscle cells contract upon electrical excitation due to the excitation-contraction coupling mechanism, the resulting deformation of the heart should reflect macroscopic action potential wave phenomena. However, whether the relationship between macroscopic electrical and mechanical phenomena is well-defined and unique enough to be utilized for an inverse imaging technique in which mechanical activation mapping is used as a surrogate for electrical mapping has yet to be determined. Here, we provide a numerical proof-of-principle that deep learning can be used to solve the inverse mechano-electrical problem in phenomenological two- and three-dimensional computer simulations of the contracting heart wall, or in elastic excitable media, with muscle fiber anisotropy. We trained a convolutional autoencoder neural network to learn the complex relationship between electrical excitation, active stress, and tissue deformation during both focal or reentrant chaotic wave activity and, consequently, used the network to successfully estimate or reconstruct electrical excitation wave patterns from mechanical deformation in sheets and bulk-shaped tissues, even in the presence of noise and at low spatial resolutions. We demonstrate that even complicated three-dimensional electrical excitation wave phenomena, such as scroll waves and their vortex filaments, can be computed with very high reconstruction accuracies of about 95% from mechanical deformation using autoencoder neural networks, and we provide a comparison with results that were obtained previously with a physics- or knowledge-based approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Christoph
- Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jan Lebert
- Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
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Gisbert V, Jiménez-Serrano S, Roses-Albert E, Rodrigo M. Atrial location optimization by electrical measures for Electrocardiographic Imaging. Comput Biol Med 2020; 127:104031. [PMID: 33096296 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2020.104031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Electrocardiographic Imaging (ECGI) technique, used to non-invasively reconstruct the epicardial electrical activity, requires an accurate model of the atria and torso anatomy. Here we evaluate a new automatic methodology able to locate the atrial anatomy within the torso based on an intrinsic electrical parameter of the ECGI solution. METHODS In 28 realistic simulations of the atrial electrical activity, we randomly displaced the atrial anatomy for ±2.5 cm and ±30° on each axis. An automatic optimization method based on the L-curve curvature was used to estimate the original position using exclusively non-invasive data. RESULTS The automatic optimization algorithm located the atrial anatomy with a deviation of 0.5 ± 0.5 cm in position and 16.0 ± 10.7° in orientation. With these approximate locations, the obtained electrophysiological maps reduced the average error in atrial rate measures from 1.1 ± 1.1 Hz to 0.5 ± 1.0 Hz and in the phase singularity position from 7.2 ± 4.0 cm to 1.6 ± 1.7 cm (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS This proposed automatic optimization may help to solve spatial inaccuracies provoked by cardiac motion or respiration, as well as to use ECGI on torso and atrial anatomies from different medical image systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Gisbert
- ITACA Institute, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Santiago Jiménez-Serrano
- ITACA Institute, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain; Proteu Tecnologia Aplicada Coop V, Spain
| | - Eduardo Roses-Albert
- ITACA Institute, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain; Proteu Tecnologia Aplicada Coop V, Spain
| | - Miguel Rodrigo
- ITACA Institute, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain.
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Osorio-Jaramillo E, Klenk S, Angleitner P, Laufer G, Ehrlich MP, Rudziński PN, Ad N. Non-invasive mapping of persistent atrial fibrillation and dextroposition of the heart. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY. HEART & VASCULATURE 2020; 30:100640. [PMID: 33015314 PMCID: PMC7522335 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcha.2020.100640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah Klenk
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Guenther Laufer
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Marek P Ehrlich
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Piotr N Rudziński
- Department of Coronary and Structural Heart Diseases, The Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński National Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Niv Ad
- Cardiothoracic Surgery, Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center, Silver Spring, Md and Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Nakamura R, Yamauchi Y, Okishige K, Kurabayashi M, Goya M, Sasano T. The impact of left atrial inferior wall isolation, in addition to pulmonary veins and left posterior wall, on long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation. HeartRhythm Case Rep 2020; 6:702-705. [PMID: 33101936 PMCID: PMC7573384 DOI: 10.1016/j.hrcr.2020.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rena Nakamura
- Heart Center, Japan Red Cross Yokohama City Bay Hospital, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yasuteru Yamauchi
- Heart Center, Japan Red Cross Yokohama City Bay Hospital, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kaoru Okishige
- Heart Center, Japan Red Cross Yokohama City Bay Hospital, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Manabu Kurabayashi
- Heart Center, Japan Red Cross Yokohama City Bay Hospital, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Masahiko Goya
- Department of Cardiology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Sasano
- Department of Cardiology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
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Xu Y, Liu H, Hao D, Taggart M, Zheng D. Uterus Modeling from Cell to Organ Level: towards Better Understanding of Physiological Basis of Uterine Activity. IEEE Rev Biomed Eng 2020; 15:341-353. [PMID: 32915747 DOI: 10.1109/rbme.2020.3023535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The relatively limited understanding of the physiology of uterine activation prevents us from achieving optimal clinical outcomes for managing serious pregnancy disorders such as preterm birth or uterine dystocia. There is increasing awareness that multi-scale computational modeling of the uterus is a promising approach for providing a qualitative and quantitative description of uterine physiology. The overarching objective of such approach is to coalesce previously fragmentary information into a predictive and testable model of uterine activity that, in turn, informs the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to these pressing clinical problems. This article assesses current progress towards this goal. We summarize the electrophysiological basis of uterine activation as presently understood and review recent research approaches to uterine modeling at different scales from single cell to tissue, whole organ and organism with particular focus on transformative data in the last decade. We describe the positives and limitations of these approaches, thereby identifying key gaps in our knowledge on which to focus, in parallel, future computational and biological research efforts.
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R Schill M, S Cuculich P, M Andrews C, Vijayakumar R, Ruaengsri C, C Henn M, S Lancaster T, J Melby S, B Schuessler R, Rudy Y, J Damiano R. The Arrhythmic Substrate for Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Mitral Regurgitation. J Atr Fibrillation 2020; 13:2304. [PMID: 34950292 DOI: 10.4022/jafib.2304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Objective Patients with severe mitral regurgitation commonly develop atrial fibrillation. The precise mechanisms of this relationship remain unknown. The objective of this study was to apply noninvasive electrocardiographic imaging of the atria during sinus rhythm to identify changes in atrial electrophysiology that may contribute to development of atrial fibrillation in patients with severe mitral regurgitation referred for mitral valve surgery. Methods Twenty subjects (9 atrial fibrillation and mitral regurgitation, 11 mitral regurgitation alone) underwent electrocardiographic imaging. Biatrial electrophysiology was imaged with activation maps in sinus rhythm. The reconstructed unipolar electrograms were analyzed for voltage amplitude, number of deflections and conduction heterogeneity. In subjects with mitral regurgitation, left atrial biopsies were obtained at the time of surgery. Results: Subjects with history of atrial fibrillation demonstrated prolonged left atrial conduction times (110±25 ms vs. mitral regurgitation alone (85±21), p=0.025); right atrial conduction times were unaffected. Variable patterns of conduction slowing were imaged in the left atria of most subjects, but those with prior history of atrial fibrillation had more complex patterns of conduction slowing or unidirectional block. The presence of atrial fibrillation was not associated with the extent of fibrosis in atrial biopsies. Conclusions Detailed changes in sinus rhythm atrial electrophysiology can be imaged noninvasively and can be used to assess the impact and evolution of atrial fibrillation on atrial conduction properties in patients with mitral regurgitation. If replicated in larger studies, electrocardiographic imaging may identify patients with mitral regurgitation at risk for atrial fibrillation and could be used to guide treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Schill
- Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis; 660 S. Euclid Ave., Campus Box 8234, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Phillip S Cuculich
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis; 660 S. Euclid Ave., Campus Box 8086, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Christopher M Andrews
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis; 1 Brookings Dr., Campus Box 1097, St. Louis MO 63130, USA
| | - Ramya Vijayakumar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis; 1 Brookings Dr., Campus Box 1097, St. Louis MO 63130, USA
| | - Chawannuch Ruaengsri
- Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis; 660 S. Euclid Ave., Campus Box 8234, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Matthew C Henn
- Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis; 660 S. Euclid Ave., Campus Box 8234, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Timothy S Lancaster
- Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis; 660 S. Euclid Ave., Campus Box 8234, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Spencer J Melby
- Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis; 660 S. Euclid Ave., Campus Box 8234, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Richard B Schuessler
- Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis; 660 S. Euclid Ave., Campus Box 8234, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis; 1 Brookings Dr., Campus Box 1097, St. Louis MO 63130, USA
| | - Yoram Rudy
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis; 660 S. Euclid Ave., Campus Box 8086, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis; 1 Brookings Dr., Campus Box 1097, St. Louis MO 63130, USA
| | - Ralph J Damiano
- Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis; 660 S. Euclid Ave., Campus Box 8234, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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Pereira H, Niederer S, Rinaldi CA. Electrocardiographic imaging for cardiac arrhythmias and resynchronization therapy. Europace 2020; 22:euaa165. [PMID: 32754737 PMCID: PMC7544539 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euaa165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Use of the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is fundamental for the assessment of heart disease, including arrhythmias, but cannot always reveal the underlying mechanism or the location of the arrhythmia origin. Electrocardiographic imaging (ECGi) is a non-invasive multi-lead ECG-type imaging tool that enhances conventional 12-lead ECG. Although it is an established technology, its continuous development has been shown to assist in arrhythmic activation mapping and provide insights into the mechanism of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). This review addresses the validity, reliability, and overall feasibility of ECGi for use in a diverse range of arrhythmias. A systematic search limited to full-text human studies published in peer-reviewed journals was performed through Medline via PubMed, using various combinations of three key concepts: ECGi, arrhythmia, and CRT. A total of 456 studies were screened through titles and abstracts. Ultimately, 42 studies were included for literature review. Evidence to date suggests that ECGi can be used to provide diagnostic insights regarding the mechanistic basis of arrhythmias and the location of arrhythmia origin. Furthermore, ECGi can yield valuable information to guide therapeutic decision-making, including during CRT. Several studies have used ECGi as a diagnostic tool for atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. More recently, studies have tested the value of this technique in predicting outcomes of CRT. As a non-invasive method for assessing cardiovascular disease, particularly arrhythmias, ECGi represents a significant advancement over standard procedures in contemporary cardiology. Its full potential has yet to be fully explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helder Pereira
- Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King’s College London, 4th Floor, Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas’ Hospital, Westminster Bridge Rd, London SE1 7EH, UK
- Cardiac Physiology Services—Clinical Investigation Centre, Bupa Cromwell Hospital, London, UK
| | - Steven Niederer
- Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King’s College London, 4th Floor, Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas’ Hospital, Westminster Bridge Rd, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Christopher A Rinaldi
- Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King’s College London, 4th Floor, Lambeth Wing, St. Thomas’ Hospital, Westminster Bridge Rd, London SE1 7EH, UK
- Cardiovascular Department, Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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Shi R, Chen Z, Butcher C, Zaman JAB, Boyalla V, Wang YK, Riad O, Sathishkumar A, Norman M, Haldar S, Jones DG, Hussain W, Markides V, Wong T. Diverse activation patterns during persistent atrial fibrillation by noncontact charge-density mapping of human atrium. J Arrhythm 2020; 36:692-702. [PMID: 32782641 PMCID: PMC7411208 DOI: 10.1002/joa3.12361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Global simultaneous recording of atrial activation during atrial fibrillation (AF) can elucidate underlying mechanisms contributing to AF maintenance. A better understanding of these mechanisms may allow for an individualized ablation strategy to treat persistent AF. The study aims to characterize left atrial endocardial activation patterns during AF using noncontact charge-density mapping. METHODS Twenty-five patients with persistent AF were studied. Activation patterns were characterized into three subtypes: (i) focal with centrifugal activation (FCA); (ii) localized rotational activation (LRA); and (iii) localized irregular activation (LIA). Continuous activation patterns were analyzed and distributed in 18 defined regions in the left atrium. RESULTS A total of 144 AF segments with 1068 activation patterns were analyzed. The most common pattern during AF was LIA (63%) which consists of four disparate features of activation: slow conduction (45%), pivoting (30%), collision (16%), and acceleration (7%). LRA was the second-most common pattern (20%). FCA accounted for 17% of all activations, arising frequently from the pulmonary veins (PVs)/ostia. A majority of patients (24/25; 96%) showed continuous and highly dynamic patterns of activation comprising multiple combinations of FCA, LRA, and LIA, transitioning from one to the other without a discernible order. Preferential conduction areas were typically seen in the mid-anterior (48%) and lower-posterior (40%) walls. CONCLUSION Atrial fibrillation is characterized by heterogeneous activation patterns identified in PV-ostia and non-PV regions throughout the LA at varying locations between individuals. Clinical implications of individualized ablation strategies guided by charge-density mapping need to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Shi
- Department of Cardiovascular MedicineThe First Affliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'anChina
- Heart Rhythm CentreThe Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation TrustNational Heart and Lung InstituteImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Zhong Chen
- Heart Rhythm CentreThe Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation TrustNational Heart and Lung InstituteImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Charlie Butcher
- Heart Rhythm CentreThe Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation TrustNational Heart and Lung InstituteImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Junaid AB Zaman
- Heart Rhythm CentreThe Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation TrustNational Heart and Lung InstituteImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Vennela Boyalla
- Heart Rhythm CentreThe Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation TrustNational Heart and Lung InstituteImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Yi Kan Wang
- Auckland Bioengineering InstituteUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Omar Riad
- Heart Rhythm CentreThe Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation TrustNational Heart and Lung InstituteImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Anitha Sathishkumar
- Heart Rhythm CentreThe Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation TrustNational Heart and Lung InstituteImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Mark Norman
- Heart Rhythm CentreThe Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation TrustNational Heart and Lung InstituteImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Shouvik Haldar
- Heart Rhythm CentreThe Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation TrustNational Heart and Lung InstituteImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - David G Jones
- Heart Rhythm CentreThe Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation TrustNational Heart and Lung InstituteImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Wajid Hussain
- Heart Rhythm CentreThe Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation TrustNational Heart and Lung InstituteImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Vias Markides
- Heart Rhythm CentreThe Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation TrustNational Heart and Lung InstituteImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Tom Wong
- Heart Rhythm CentreThe Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation TrustNational Heart and Lung InstituteImperial College LondonLondonUK
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Nazarian S, Markman TM. Mapping Endocardial-Epicardial Dissociation: Significance for Atrial Fibrillation Ablation. JACC Clin Electrophysiol 2020; 6:846-848. [PMID: 32703567 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacep.2020.04.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Saman Nazarian
- Section for Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
| | - Timothy M Markman
- Section for Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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Site-Specific Epicardium-to-Endocardium Dissociation of Electrical Activation in a Swine Model of Atrial Fibrillation. JACC Clin Electrophysiol 2020; 6:830-845. [PMID: 32703566 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacep.2020.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study sought to define the extent and spatial distribution of endocardial-epicardial dissociation (EED) in a swine model. BACKGROUND The mechanisms underlying persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) remain unclear. METHODS Sixteen swine underwent simultaneous endocardial and epicardial mapping using 32-electrode grid catheters. This included 6 swine with rapid atrial pacing-induced atrial remodeling. Three right atrial (RA) and 3 left atrial (LA) regions were mapped during sinus rhythm, atrial pacing, acute or persistent AF, and AF in the presence of pericardial acetylcholine. Unipolar electrogram recordings over 10-s epochs underwent offline phase analysis using customized software. Regional activation patterns on paired surfaces and the instantaneous phase at each matched electrode location were analyzed. EED was defined as paired electrodes out of phase by ≥20 ms. RESULTS The mean distance between matched endocardial-epicardial electrode pairs was 4.4 ± 1.8 mm. During episodes of AF, rotational activations with ≥3 full rotations were not seen. EED was seen during 34.4 ± 16.4% of mapped time periods: LA > RA, persistent > acute AF in the LA, and acetylcholine-induced > acute AF in both atria (p < 0.05 for each). Most marked EED in persistent AF was in the LA appendage (47.2 ± 3.7%) and the LA posterior wall (50.3 ± 4.7%). CONCLUSIONS Marked EED was seen in a swine model of AF, particularly during persistent AF. There was significantly more EED in the LA than the RA and, particularly, in the LA PW and LAA. Mapping approaches limited to the endocardium may not sufficiently characterize the complexity of AF.
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Ehrlich MP, Osorio-Jaramillo E, Aref T, Coti I, Andreas M, Laufer G, Ad N. Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery: Electrophysiological Mechanism and Outcome. Ann Thorac Surg 2020; 109:1765-1772. [DOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2019.12.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Abstract
This review focusses on novel findings in atrial fibrillation mechanisms derived from mapping studies. Recent panoramic mapping techniques have identified 2 arrhythmic mechanisms of interest, namely, rotational (rotors) and ectopic focal activations as drivers of atrial fibrillation. Epicardial adipose tissue and fatty infiltration into the myocardium have been described as novel substrates for atrial fibrillation. There is increasing appreciation that the thin atrial walls harbor a complex 3-dimensional electrostructural substrate to contribute to atrial fibrillation sustenance. Further research is warranted to advance the field toward more targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis H Lau
- Department of Cardiology, Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders, University of Adelaide, Royal Adelaide Hospital, 1 Port Road, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Dominik Linz
- Department of Cardiology, Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders, University of Adelaide, Royal Adelaide Hospital, 1 Port Road, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Prashanthan Sanders
- Department of Cardiology, Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders, University of Adelaide, Royal Adelaide Hospital, 1 Port Road, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia.
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Handa BS, Li X, Aras KK, Qureshi NA, Mann I, Chowdhury RA, Whinnett ZI, Linton NW, Lim PB, Kanagaratnam P, Efimov IR, Peters NS, Ng FS. Granger Causality-Based Analysis for Classification of Fibrillation Mechanisms and Localization of Rotational Drivers. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2020; 13:e008237. [PMID: 32064900 PMCID: PMC7069398 DOI: 10.1161/circep.119.008237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mechanisms sustaining myocardial fibrillation remain disputed, partly due to a lack of mapping tools that can accurately identify the mechanism with low spatial resolution clinical recordings. Granger causality (GC) analysis, an econometric tool for quantifying causal relationships between complex time-series, was developed as a novel fibrillation mapping tool and adapted to low spatial resolution sequentially acquired data. METHODS Ventricular fibrillation (VF) optical mapping was performed in Langendorff-perfused Sprague-Dawley rat hearts (n=18), where novel algorithms were developed using GC-based analysis to (1) quantify causal dependence of neighboring signals and plot GC vectors, (2) quantify global organization with the causality pairing index, a measure of neighboring causal signal pairs, and (3) localize rotational drivers (RDs) by quantifying the circular interdependence of neighboring signals with the circular interdependence value. GC-based mapping tools were optimized for low spatial resolution from downsampled optical mapping data, validated against high-resolution phase analysis and further tested in previous VF optical mapping recordings of coronary perfused donor heart left ventricular wedge preparations (n=12), and adapted for sequentially acquired intracardiac electrograms during human persistent atrial fibrillation mapping (n=16). RESULTS Global VF organization quantified by causality pairing index showed a negative correlation at progressively lower resolutions (50% resolution: P=0.006, R2=0.38, 12.5% resolution, P=0.004, R2=0.41) with a phase analysis derived measure of disorganization, locations occupied by phase singularities. In organized VF with high causality pairing index values, GC vector mapping characterized dominant propagating patterns and localized stable RDs, with the circular interdependence value showing a significant difference in driver versus nondriver regions (0.91±0.05 versus 0.35±0.06, P=0.0002). These findings were further confirmed in human VF. In persistent atrial fibrillation, a positive correlation was found between the causality pairing index and presence of stable RDs (P=0.0005,R2=0.56). Fifty percent of patients had RDs, with a low incidence of 0.9±0.3 RDs per patient. CONCLUSIONS GC-based fibrillation analysis can measure global fibrillation organization, characterize dominant propagating patterns, and map RDs using low spatial resolution sequentially acquired data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balvinder S. Handa
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (B.S.H., X.L., N.A.Q., I.M., R.A.C., Z.I.W., N.W.F.L., P.B.L., P.K., N.S.P., F.S.N.)
| | - Xinyang Li
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (B.S.H., X.L., N.A.Q., I.M., R.A.C., Z.I.W., N.W.F.L., P.B.L., P.K., N.S.P., F.S.N.)
| | - Kedar K. Aras
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC (K.K.A., I.R.E.)
| | - Norman A. Qureshi
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (B.S.H., X.L., N.A.Q., I.M., R.A.C., Z.I.W., N.W.F.L., P.B.L., P.K., N.S.P., F.S.N.)
| | - Ian Mann
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (B.S.H., X.L., N.A.Q., I.M., R.A.C., Z.I.W., N.W.F.L., P.B.L., P.K., N.S.P., F.S.N.)
| | - Rasheda A. Chowdhury
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (B.S.H., X.L., N.A.Q., I.M., R.A.C., Z.I.W., N.W.F.L., P.B.L., P.K., N.S.P., F.S.N.)
| | - Zachary I. Whinnett
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (B.S.H., X.L., N.A.Q., I.M., R.A.C., Z.I.W., N.W.F.L., P.B.L., P.K., N.S.P., F.S.N.)
| | - Nick W.F. Linton
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (B.S.H., X.L., N.A.Q., I.M., R.A.C., Z.I.W., N.W.F.L., P.B.L., P.K., N.S.P., F.S.N.)
| | - Phang Boon Lim
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (B.S.H., X.L., N.A.Q., I.M., R.A.C., Z.I.W., N.W.F.L., P.B.L., P.K., N.S.P., F.S.N.)
| | - Prapa Kanagaratnam
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (B.S.H., X.L., N.A.Q., I.M., R.A.C., Z.I.W., N.W.F.L., P.B.L., P.K., N.S.P., F.S.N.)
| | - Igor R. Efimov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC (K.K.A., I.R.E.)
| | - Nicholas S. Peters
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (B.S.H., X.L., N.A.Q., I.M., R.A.C., Z.I.W., N.W.F.L., P.B.L., P.K., N.S.P., F.S.N.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC (K.K.A., I.R.E.)
| | - Fu Siong Ng
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (B.S.H., X.L., N.A.Q., I.M., R.A.C., Z.I.W., N.W.F.L., P.B.L., P.K., N.S.P., F.S.N.)
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