title: Velocity tracking--a novel method for quantitative analysis of longitudinal myocardial function.
abstract: Doppler tissue imaging is a method for quantitative analysis of longitudinal myocardial velocity. Commercially available ultrasound systems can only present velocity information using a color Doppler-based overlapping continuous color scale. The analysis is time-consuming and does not allow for simultaneous analysis in different projections. We have developed a new method, velocity tracking, using a stepwise color coding of the regional longitudinal myocardial velocity. The velocity data from 3 apical projections are presented as static and dynamic bull's-eye plots to give a 3-dimensional understanding of the function of the left ventricle. The static bull's-eye plot can display peak systolic velocity, late diastolic tissue velocity, or the sum of peak systolic velocity and early diastolic tissue velocity. Conversely, the dynamic bull's-eye plot displays how the myocardial velocities change over one heart cycle. Velocity tracking allows for a fast, simple, and intuitive visual analysis of the regional longitudinal contraction pattern of the left ventricle with a great potential to identify characteristic pathologic patterns.
authors.affiliation: School for Technique and Health, Royal Institute of Technology, Huddinge, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bjällmark
authors.forename: Matilda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: Reidar
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Westholm
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lind
authors.forename: Lars-Ake
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Brodin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009038:Motion; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*