title: How accurate is visual assessment of synchronicity in myocardial motion? An In vitro study with computer-simulated regional delay in myocardial motion: clinical implications for rest and stress echocardiography studies.
abstract: Asynchronicity in echocardiographic images is normally assessed visually. No prior quantitative studies have determined the limitations of this approach. To quantify visual recognition of myocardial asynchronicity in echocardiographic images, computer-simulated delay phantom loops were generated from a 3.3 MHz digital image data from a normal left ventricular short-axis heart cycle acquired at 55 frames per second. Six expert observers visually assessed 30 abnormal and 3 normal loops with differing computer-induced delay patterns on 3 occasions and in this optimally simulated environment could recognize only single delays of 89 ms or more. This was improved to 71 ms or more by use of side-by-side (normal versus abnormal) comparative review. Thus visual assessment of clinically important regional delay in rest or stress echo images is limited.
authors.affiliation: Linköping Heart Center, Department of Clinical Physiology, University Hospital Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kvitting
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wigström
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Strotmann
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Sutherland
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D004452:Echocardiography; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D015588:Observer Variation; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies