title: T wave spectral variance: A new method to determine inhomogeneous repolarization by T wave beat-to-beat variability in patients prone to ventricular arrhythmias.
abstract: Inhomogeneous repolarization is considered to be associated with increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias, but exact determination of the end of the T wave is difficult, and a single measurement of the QTc interval may be insufficient for risk stratification. A new algorithm was therefore developed to determine the beat-to-beat variability of the T wave in Holter electrocardiographic recordings. This algorithm, termed T Wave Spectral Variance (TWSV) uses the two-dimensional fast Fourier transform to determine the beat-to-beat variability of the T wave in Hotter ECG recordings. The two-dimensional fast Fourier transform was calculated by use of a data matrix with 1,024 consecutive single beats (first dimension) and a 200-ms segment centered on the T wave (second dimension). The power spectra of the 2D-FFT revealed the frequency content of the T wave in the first dimension and the periodicity of these frequencies in cycles per beat in the second dimension. A TWSV index of periodicity was calculated by dividing total spectral energy by spectral energy at 0 cycles per beat. A TWSV index of 0 means a constant T wave from beat to beat; a TWSV index of 1 means a completely irregular T wave. Of the 200 patients investigated, all of whom had had myocardial infarctions, 50 had documented sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) (<230 beats/min) (group 1), 50 had ventricular fibrillation (VF) (group 2), and 100 were without VT or VF (group 3); 10 normal subjects were also investigated. The visually determined QTc was 442 +/- 62 ms in group 1, 402 +/- 13 ms in group 2, 411 +/- 26 ms in group 3, and 398 +/- 43 ms in normal subjects (differences not significant). The TWSV index was 0.95 +/- 0.14 in group 1, 0.90 +/- 0.16 in group 2, and 0.64 +/- 0.24 in group 3; it showed a highly constant T wave in normal subjects (0.52 +/- 0.23). Differences between patients with VT and VF as against patients without VT or VF were significant (P < .05), whereas no statistical differences between patients with VT and VF could be found. Thus, TWSV, a new method to assess beat-to-beat variability of the T wave, revealed increased heterogeneity of repolarization in patients prone to both VT and VF after myocardial infarction, whereas a single QTc interval measurement showed no significant differences.
authors.affiliation: Medical Hospital 1, University of Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Steinbigler
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haberl
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nespithal
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spiegl
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schmücking
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Steinbeck
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*