TY - JOUR
T1 - Fluctuations in T-wave morphology and susceptibility to ventricular fibrillation
AU - Adam, Dan R.
AU - Smith, Joseph M.
AU - Akselrod, Solange
AU - Nyberg, Scott
AU - Powell, Allen O.
AU - Cohen, Richard J.
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgements: Supported by NSF grant #ECS-8121571, ONR grant #N00014-80-C-0520, USAF SAM award #F33615-84-C-0601, a grant from the Whitaker Health Sciences Fund, and a grant from the R. J. Reynolds Industries. D.R.A. is grateful for support from a Johnson and Johnson Company Fellowship, J.M.S. is grateful for support from an Edward J. Poitras Fellowship, S.A. is grateful for support from a Weizmann Institute Fellowship, and R.J.C. is grateful for support from a Hartford Foundation Fellowship.
PY - 1984
Y1 - 1984
N2 - Susceptibility of the ventricles to fibrillation has been related to the degree of spatial inhomogeneity in the repolarization process. We studied the pattern of beat-to-beat fluctuations in ventricular repolarization processes in order to determine whether a relationship also exists between the temporal variability of ventricular repolarization and susceptibility to ventricular fibrillation. We used the morphology of the T-wave recorded in surface and epicardial leads as a measure of the ventricular repolarization process. The Ventricular Fibrillation Threshold (VFT) was used as the standard measure of cardiac susceptibility to fibrillation. In dog experiments, T-wave morphologic indices were computed on 1,024 sequential beats. Histogram, autocorrelation and power spectrum analyses were performed on the sequence of T-wave morphologic indices. A series of 27 experiments were performed on 20 dogs in which VFT was reduced by several different interventions - hypothermia, tachycardia and coronary artery ligation. For all three interventions we observed the same characteristic change in the pattern of T-wave morphology fluctuations. In particular, we found that as the VFT was reduced, a pattern of T-wave alternans developed. This pattern was generally not detectable by visual inspection of the ECG. It was, on the other hand, easily quantified in terms of a T-wave alternans index (TWAI) which we computed from the power spectrum of the T-wave fluctuations. In 26 of the 27 experiments, measured VFT decreased (p<.001); in 20 of these experiments the TWAI computed from the surface ECG increased (decreased) when VFT decreased (increased) (p<.01). In 17 experiments epicardial electrograms were, recorded. In 16 of these experiments VFT decreased (p<.001). In 16 of these 17 experiments TWAI computed from the epicardial ECG increased (decreased) when the VFT decreased (increased) (p<.001). We conclude that statistical analysis of fluctuations in ECG complex morphology may provide a sensitive probe of ventricular vulnerability to fibrillation.
AB - Susceptibility of the ventricles to fibrillation has been related to the degree of spatial inhomogeneity in the repolarization process. We studied the pattern of beat-to-beat fluctuations in ventricular repolarization processes in order to determine whether a relationship also exists between the temporal variability of ventricular repolarization and susceptibility to ventricular fibrillation. We used the morphology of the T-wave recorded in surface and epicardial leads as a measure of the ventricular repolarization process. The Ventricular Fibrillation Threshold (VFT) was used as the standard measure of cardiac susceptibility to fibrillation. In dog experiments, T-wave morphologic indices were computed on 1,024 sequential beats. Histogram, autocorrelation and power spectrum analyses were performed on the sequence of T-wave morphologic indices. A series of 27 experiments were performed on 20 dogs in which VFT was reduced by several different interventions - hypothermia, tachycardia and coronary artery ligation. For all three interventions we observed the same characteristic change in the pattern of T-wave morphology fluctuations. In particular, we found that as the VFT was reduced, a pattern of T-wave alternans developed. This pattern was generally not detectable by visual inspection of the ECG. It was, on the other hand, easily quantified in terms of a T-wave alternans index (TWAI) which we computed from the power spectrum of the T-wave fluctuations. In 26 of the 27 experiments, measured VFT decreased (p<.001); in 20 of these experiments the TWAI computed from the surface ECG increased (decreased) when VFT decreased (increased) (p<.01). In 17 experiments epicardial electrograms were, recorded. In 16 of these experiments VFT decreased (p<.001). In 16 of these 17 experiments TWAI computed from the epicardial ECG increased (decreased) when the VFT decreased (increased) (p<.001). We conclude that statistical analysis of fluctuations in ECG complex morphology may provide a sensitive probe of ventricular vulnerability to fibrillation.
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U2 - 10.1016/S0022-0736(84)80057-6
DO - 10.1016/S0022-0736(84)80057-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 6481277
AN - SCOPUS:0021259093
SN - 0022-0736
VL - 17
SP - 209
EP - 218
JO - Journal of Electrocardiology
JF - Journal of Electrocardiology
IS - 3
ER -