Key result
Electrographic flow consistency is ~26% lower during AF versus SR and correlates with bipolar voltage.
Why the study?
This study aimed to compare electrographic flow patterns during atrial fibrillation with sinus rhythm and explore the correlation between electrographic flow consistency and regional bipolar voltage.
Does electrographic flow consistency and wavefront pattern behavior differ between atrial fibrillation and sinus rhythm, and does it correlate with bipolar voltage in patients with persistent AF?
Observational (n=10)
No
Does electrographic flow consistency and wavefront pattern behavior differ between atrial fibrillation and sinus rhythm, and does it correlate with bipolar voltage in patients with persistent AF?
Effect estimate: r = 0.647
Absolute Event Rate: 0.74% vs 1%
p-value: p=< 0.01
Electrographic flow consistency correlates strongly with bipolar voltage and varies by rhythm, suggesting it could serve as a rapid, panoramic marker for atrial myopathy and substrate health.
Electrographic flow consistency may mark atrial myopathy in persistent AF; leaves open its role as a panoramic substrate tool pending prospective validation.
BACKGROUND: Electrographic flow (EGF) mapping reconstructs atrial electrical wavefront propagation, potentially revealing sources of atrial fibrillation (AF). Electrographic flow consistency (EGFC) measures the concurrence of wavefront patterns and may provide insights into atrial substrate health. This study aimed to compare EGF patterns during atrial fibrillation (AF) with sinus rhythm (SR) and explore the correlation between EGFC and regional bipolar voltage. METHODS: In this single-center, prospective study, AF patients underwent mapping of the atria using bipolar voltage and EGF mapping. Mapping was performed during both AF and SR using a 16-electrode grid catheter (bipolar mapping) and a 64-pole basket catheter (EGF mapping). EGFC was computed as the average modulus of individual EGF vectors, reflecting flow pattern consistency. RESULTS: Ten patients were enrolled. EGF identified 11 sources with a mean source activity of 32 ± 9% during AF. Eight out of eleven sources in AF converted to passive "sinks" when mapped in SR. EGFC was significantly lower during AF compared to SR (0.74 ± 0.14 vs 1.0 ± 0.11 AUs, P < 0.01), consistent with EGFC quantifying the more chaotic wavefront propagation during arrhythmia. No spatial correlation between areas of high EGFC during AF and SR was observed. EGFC correlated with bipolar voltage across rhythms and atria (r = 0.647, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: EGF patterns varied by rhythm with AF showing lower EGFC values. EGFC correlated with bipolar voltage across rhythms and atria, suggesting its potential as an atrial myopathy marker akin to high-density voltage mapping and offering insights into atrial substrate health. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT06260670.
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Sommer et al. (2024) conducted an observational in Atrial fibrillation (n=10). Electrographic flow (EGF) mapping vs. Sinus rhythm was evaluated on Electrographic flow consistency (EGFC) (r = 0.647, p=< 0.01). Electrographic flow consistency was significantly lower during atrial fibrillation compared to sinus rhythm (0.74 vs 1.0 AUs, P<0.01) and correlated with bipolar voltage (r=0.647, P<0.0001).
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