Dominant frequency differences in atrial fibrillation patients with and without left ventricular systolic dysfunction.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine the mechanisms of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD).


RESULTS
Dominant frequency (DF) spatiotemporal stability was studied in 15 patients with persistent AF (PEAF) and LVSD (Group I), 15 with PEAF without LVSD (Group II), and 10 with paroxysmal AF (PAAF) without LVSD (Group III). Dominant frequencies were analysed at 536 sites at baseline (DF1) and 26 +/- 12 min later (DF2). A DF1-DF2 difference of <or=0.5 Hz was found in 77, 70, and 48% of sites in Groups I, II, and III (P < 0.001). Maximal DF1 and DF2 were recorded at the same site in 12/15, 11/15, and 0/10 patients in Groups I, II, and III, respectively (P < 0.01). Gradient differences: Group I, DFs were higher at left atrium appendage (LAA) than at anterior (A) LA (ALA), pulmonary vein-left atrial junction (PV-LAJ), and posterior (P) LA (PLA) (7.4 +/- 1.1 vs. 6.6 +/- 1 vs. 6.8 +/- 0.8 vs. 6.8 +/- 0.7 Hz, P < 0.05); Group II, no differences; Group III, DF was higher at PV-LAJ than at LAA, AL, and PLA (6 +/- 1.2 vs. 5.3 +/- 1.1 vs. 5.2 +/- 0.9 vs. 5.4 +/- 1.1 Hz, P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Dominant frequency stability supports stable arrhythmia sources as the mechanism of PEAF with (without) LVSD, but not of PAAF.
Arenal
Angel
A
Unidad de Arritmias, Departamento de Cardiología, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, C/ Dr Esquerdo, 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain. arenal@secardiologia.es
Datino
Tomas
T
Atea
Leonardo
L
Atienza
Felipe
F
González-Torrecilla
Esteban
E
Almendral
Jesús
J
Castilla
Loreto
L
Sánchez
Pedro L
PL
Fernández-Aviles
Francisco
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D004562:Electrocardiography; D022062:Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery