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Journal of Nuclear Cardiology

, Volume 15, Issue 1, pp 127–136 | Cite as

Assessment of left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony by phase analysis of ECG-gated SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging

  • Ji ChenEmail author
  • Maureen M. Henneman
  • Mark A. Trimble
  • Jeroen J. Bax
  • Salvador Borges-Neto
  • Ami E. Iskandrian
  • Kenneth J. Nichols
  • Ernest V. Garcia
Review Article

Abstract

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has shown benefits in patients with severe heart failure. However, at least 30% of patients selected for CRT by use of traditional criteria (New York Heart Association class III or IV, depressed left ventricular [LV] ejection fraction, and prolonged QRS duration) do not respond to CRT. Recent studies with tissue Doppler imaging have shown that the presence of LV dyssynchrony is an important predictor of response to CRT. Phase analysis has been developed to allow assessment of LV dyssynchrony by gated single photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging. This technique uses Fourier harmonic functions to approximate regional wall thickness changes over the cardiac cycle and to calculate the regional onset-of-mechanical contraction phase. Once the onset-of-mechanical contraction phases are obtained 3-dimensionally over the left ventricle, a phase distribution map is formed that represents the degree of LV dyssynchrony. This technique has been compared with other methods of measuring LV dyssynchrony and shown promising results in clinical evaluations. In this review the phase analysis methodology is described, and its up-to-date validations are summarized.

Key words

Heart failure cardiac resynchronization therapy left ventricular dyssynchrony electrocardiography-gated single photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging 
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Copyright information

© American Society of Nuclear Cardiology 2008

Authors and Affiliations

  • Ji Chen
    • 1
    Email author
  • Maureen M. Henneman
    • 2
  • Mark A. Trimble
    • 3
  • Jeroen J. Bax
    • 2
  • Salvador Borges-Neto
    • 3
  • Ami E. Iskandrian
    • 4
  • Kenneth J. Nichols
    • 5
  • Ernest V. Garcia
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of RadiologyEmory University School of MedicineAtlanta
  2. 2.Department of CardiologyLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
  3. 3.Division of Cardiovascular DiseaseDuke UniversityDurham
  4. 4.Division of CardiologyUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham
  5. 5.Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular ImagingNorth Shore Long Island Jewish Health SystemNew Hyde Park

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