title: Myocardial wall velocity assessment by pulsed Doppler tissue imaging: characteristic findings in normal subjects.
abstract: To validate the use of pulsed Doppler tissue imaging that measures myocardial wall velocities and to define the characteristics of these velocities in normal subjects, we obtained and compared the anteroseptal and posterior wall velocities in 24 volunteers with pulsed Doppler tissue imaging and digitized M-mode echocardiography. We also studied the relation between velocity components and hemodynamic events timed by standard Doppler flows. There was an excellent correlation between Doppler and M-mode-derived velocities (r = 0.95, p < 0.001), with higher reproducibility for Doppler (r = 0.99) than for M-mode (r = 0.95, p < 0.001). Biphasic velocities that were uniformly present during isovolumic contraction and relaxation were attributed to geometric changes due to asynchronous contraction and ventricular interdependence. We conclude that wall velocities obtained by pulsed Doppler tissue imaging are accurate and reproducible. This method may prove useful for studying the contractile and elastic properties of the myocardium.
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Medical Center, White River Junction, VT 05009, USA.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ares
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002302:Cardiac Output; D002306:Cardiac Volume; D004452:Echocardiography; D018619:Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006346:Heart Septum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D006351:Heart Valves / Q000502:physiology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016276:Ventricular Function