title: Assessment of mechanical ventricular synchrony in Doberman Pinschers with dilated cardiomyopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Loss of temporal synchrony of myocardial contraction has been shown to reduce systolic function and be responsible for disease progression in people. The objective of this study is the assessment of inter- and intra ventricular synchrony in healthy Doberman Pinschers and those with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) by use of conventional Doppler and tissue velocity imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 60 scans from 35 client-owned Doberman Pinschers presented for cardiac evaluation were analysed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of data. Using the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology DCM taskforce scoring system, Doberman Pinschers were classified into 4 groups: Control (Group 1; n=12), depressed systolic function other than DCM (Group 2; n=9), preclinical DCM (Group 3; n=8) and symptomatic DCM (Group 4; n=6). The time intervals between the beginning of the QRS complex and the peak velocity of pulmonic flow (Q-P) and the peak aortic flow (Q-Ao) were used to assess global synchrony between both ventricles. The time intervals between the beginning of the QRS complex and the peak myocardial systolic velocity (Q-peak S) and the onset of myocardial systolic velocity (Q-start S) were measured at the base of the right and left ventricular free wall (RVFW and LVFW) and interventricular septum (IVS), and used to determine segmental longitudinal inter- and intra ventricular synchrony.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant loss of global or segmental longitudinal inter- or intra ventricular synchrony was identified between the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Impairment of longitudinal fibre synchrony does not appear to be significantly associated with clinical status of DCM in Doberman Pinschers, although it was identified in certain individuals.
authors.affiliation: Small Animal Teaching Hospital, University of Liverpool, School of Veterinary Science, Leahurst, Neston, UK. jlopezalvarez@rvc.ac.uk
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: López-Alvarez
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fonfara
authors.forename: Brigite
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pedro
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stephenson
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Cripps
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dukes-McEwan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004285:Dogs; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000662:veterinary; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies