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Exercise tissue Doppler echocardiography with strain rate imaging in healthy young individuals: feasibility, normal values and reproducibility

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An Erratum to this article was published on 27 September 2006

Abstract

Purpose of the study

The study was done to determine the clinical feasibility and reproducibility of tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE) with strain rate imaging (SRI) at rest and under physical exercise in healthy young individuals and to report normal values for parameters of regional myocardial function under exercise.

Methods

Forty-five young volunteers (age 9–29 years) underwent echocardiography with TDE/SRI at rest and during a bicycle exercise test (2 W/kg body weight).

Results

Velocities could be obtained in 93% of segments, whereas strain rate was measurable at least in 80% of segments. Inter- and intraobserver variability for measurement of velocities under exercise was 14% and 9%, respectively for strain rate 28% and 20%. Except for peak strain, values for all other parameters were higher during exercise with the clearest response in the left lateral and the right ventricular wall.

Conclusions

(1) Tissue Doppler with strain rate imaging is a practical and robust method for assessment of regional function of both ventricles under exercise. (2) Systolic motion, local myocardial relaxation and contractility increased significantly under physical exercise. These normal values obtained from healthy young subjects can serve as a reference database for further clinical studies.

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Abbreviations

HR:

heart rate

LAX:

parasternal long axis

LV:

left ventricle

RV:

right ventricle

SAX:

parasternal short axis

SRA :

peak late diastolic strain rate

SRE :

peak early diastolic strain rate

SRS :

peak systolic strain rate

SRI:

strain rate imaging

TDE:

tissue Doppler echocardiography

V A :

peak late diastolic myocardial velocity

V E :

peak early diastolic myocardial velocity

V S :

peak systolic myocardial velocity

\(\varepsilon\) :

peak overall strain

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Correspondence to Tudor C. Poerner.

Additional information

The authors Björn Goebel and Raoul Arnold have contributed equally to this work

An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10554-006-9159-7

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Goebel, B., Arnold, R., Koletzki, E. et al. Exercise tissue Doppler echocardiography with strain rate imaging in healthy young individuals: feasibility, normal values and reproducibility. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 23, 149–155 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10554-006-9130-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10554-006-9130-7

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