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February 28, 2026International Journal of Cardiology0 citationsOpen Access

Blood speckle imaging for the assessment of aortic valve velocity in healthy children: Reproducibility and comparison with Doppler echocardiography

AFAndrea Freixa-BenaventeJGJ. Aparicio GarridoFRFerran Roses-Noguer

Key Result

Network analysis of individuals with suicidal ideation following a suicide attempt revealed no significant differences in global network strength (p=0.82) or structure (p=0.80) between those with and without intention to act, though emotional abuse served as a central bridge in the intention-to-act group.

Key Points

  • This research aims to evaluate the reproducibility and effectiveness of blood speckle imaging (BSI) compared to Doppler echocardiography for measuring aortic valve velocity in healthy children.
  • Comparison of BSI and Doppler velocity measurements at the aortic valve level in healthy children.
  • Analysis using Pearson correlation and Bland Altman methods, with custom Python code for BSI velocity extraction.
  • Inter-observer variability assessed using a random selection of subjects.
  • 77 Doppler acquisitions and 33 patients were evaluated with a median maximal velocity of 1.19 m/s.
  • Correlation between BSI and Doppler velocities was modest at R = 0.53 (p<0.001), but improved to R = 0.59 (p<0.001) in younger subjects.
  • Good inter-observer reproducibility for BSI analysis was established (R = 0.7, p = 0.006).

Study Design

Type

Cross-Sectional (n=1,265)

Multicenter

Yes

Structured PICO

Does Blood speckle imaging (BSI) improve assessment of aortic valve velocity compared to conventional Doppler echocardiography in healthy children?

P
Population
33 healthy children, median age 84 months
I
Intervention
Blood speckle imaging (BSI)
C
Comparator
Conventional Doppler echocardiography
O
Outcome
Maximal velocity at the aortic valve levelsurrogate

Main Result

p-value: p=0.82

Limitations

  • Cross-sectional design limits the ability to draw conclusions about temporal relationships.
  • Sample consists of individuals who had recently attempted suicide, which may limit generalizability to those with suicidal ideation but no history of attempts.
  • Unable to control for the effects of current or past medications and their doses.
  • Unevenly distributed groups, with roughly two-thirds fewer individuals in the suicidal ideation without intention to act group.
  • 14% missing data for the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF).
  • Psychiatric diagnoses were not included as network nodes.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Blood speckle imaging (BSI) in paediatrics is a promising novel echocardiography technique that allows complex blood flow assessment via qualitative visualization and analysis of vorticity, energy gloss and kinetic energy. However, velocity quantification has scarcely been studied in vivo, albeit in children at the aortic valve level. METHODOLOGY Comparison of conventional Doppler and BSI velocities at the aortic valve level in healthy children by echocardiography. BSI maximal velocity was extracted via a custom code in Python. Analysis was performed using Pearson correlation and Bland Altman analysis. An inter-observer study variability for BSI analysis was also performed in a randomly selection of subjects. RESULTS A total of 77 Doppler acquisitions in 33 patients were obtained. The median age was 84 months, and maximal velocity was 1.19 m/s. Modest correlation (R = 0.53, p-value<0.001) was found between maximal velocity by BSI and Doppler. When age-stratified, the younger subgroup (<6.5 years) showed good correlation (R = 0.59, p-value<0.001) whereas it was not significant in the older subjects. A non-significant trend towards BSI underestimating velocities was found, more marked in the older subgroup. Also, discrepancies between BSI and Doppler were higher in the older subjects. There was good inter-observer reproducibility of BSI analysis (R = 0.7, p-value = 0.006). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION The BSI technique shows moderate correlation with Doppler in healthy children, with better performance at lower body size. A non-significant trend towards greater discrepancies at higher velocities was observed. Good BSI analysis inter-observer variability was found. The BSI echocardiography allows quantification of aortic valve maximum velocity in healthy children.

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Cite This Study

Freixa-Benavente et al. (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in Suicidal ideation after a recent suicide attempt (n=1,265). Suicidal ideation with intention to act vs. Suicidal ideation without intention to act was evaluated on Global network strength (p=0.82). Network analysis of individuals with suicidal ideation following a suicide attempt revealed no significant differences in global network strength (p=0.82) or structure (p=0.80) between those with and without intention to act, though emotional abuse served as a central bridge in the intention-to-act group.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a025a629cddff7633412bc0https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2026.134223
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