Cyclic Variation of Spectral Parameters for the Differentiation of Atrial Myocardium Before and Immediately Following Radiofrequency Ablation

Abstract

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a common treatment of atrial fibrillation. However, current treatment is associated with a greater than 20% recurrence rate, in part due to inadequate monitoring of tissue viability during ablation. Spectral parameters, in particular cyclic variation of integrated backscatter (CVIB), have shown promise as early indicators of myocardial recovery from ischemia. Our aim was to demonstrate the use of spectral parameters to differentiate atrial myocardium before and after radiofrequency ablation. An AcuNav 10 F catheter was used to collect radiofrequency signals from the posterior wall of the left atrium of patients before and immediately after RFA for AF. The normalized power spectrum was obtained and three spectral parameters (integrated backscatter [IB], slope, and intercept) were extracted across two continuous heart cycles. Parameters were gated for ventricular end-diastole and compared before and after ablation. Additionally, the cyclic variation of each of these three parameters was generated as an average of the variation across the two recorded heart cycles. Data from 14 patients before and after ablation demonstrated a significant difference in the magnitude of the cyclic variation of integrated backscatter (9.0 vs. 6.0 dB, p < .001) and cyclic variation of the intercept (14.0 vs. 11.5 dB, p = .04). No significant difference was noted in the magnitude of the cyclic variation of the slope. Among spectral parameters gated for end-diastole, significant differences were noted in the slope (−4.39 vs. −3.73 dB/MHz, p = .002) and intercept (16.8 vs. 11.9 dB, p = .002). No significant difference was noted in the integrated backscatter. Spectral parameters are able to differentiate atrial myocardium before and immediately following ablation and may be useful in monitoring atrial ablations.