title: Developmental changes in left and right ventricular function evaluated with color tissue Doppler imaging and strain echocardiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the systolic and diastolic functions of both ventricles from the early neonatal period to adolescence using color tissue Doppler imaging and 2-dimensional tissue tracking echocardiography.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 100 healthy children (aged 1-5 days, n = 20; 1 month, n = 20; 1 year, n = 20; 6-7 years, n = 20; and 12-13 years, n = 20). Blood flow velocities in the mitral and tricuspid valves (E) were obtained with pulsed Doppler imaging, and longitudinal systolic (S') and early diastolic (E') peak velocities at the mid free wall segment of both ventricles were obtained with color tissue Doppler imaging. For longitudinal strain imaging, systolic peak values were obtained at the same position. In addition, peak systolic radial strain was obtained from a short-axis view of the left ventricle using the tissue tracking method. The E/E' ratio was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regarding systolic indices, S' increased during development and stabilized at 6 to 7 years, and longitudinal strain reached values of the 12- to 13-year-old group at 1 year of age in both ventricles. Like longitudinal strain, radial strain in the left ventricle reached values of the 12- to 13-year-old group at the age of 1 year. Similarly, the E/E' ratio was high at 1 month or younger and decreased by 1 year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Systolic and diastolic variables change markedly from birth to 1 year of age and show only small changes thereafter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Nippon Medical School Musashi Kosugi Hospital, Kanagawa, Japan. miharu@nms.ac.jp
authors.forename: Miharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akao
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Katsube
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamisago
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Ryuji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fukazawa
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Itoh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D018619:Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right