Relationship Between Complex Fractionated Electrograms (CFE) and Dominant Frequency (DF) Sites and Prospective Assessment of Adding DF-Guided Ablation to Pulmonary Vein Isolation in Persistent Atrial Fibrillation (AF)

Background-During left atrial mapping, optimal contact parameters minimizing variation secondary to catheter contact are not established. Methods and Results-Across 30 patients undergoing first-time atrial fibrillation ablation, 1965 stable mapping points (1409 atrial fibrillation, 556 sinus rhythm), comprising 8-s contact force (CF) and bipolar electrogram data were analyzed. Points were taken in groups at locations with CF or catheter orientation actively changed between acquisitions. Complexes were less positive at higher CF (Spearman ρ, −0.2; P<0.005, both rhythms). Increasing CF at a location significantly increased complex size, but only where initial CF was <10 g, and if the change was ≥4.5 g in sinus rhythm and ≥8 g in atrial fibrillation (P<0.0005, both rhythms): if initial CF was ≥10 g, no change was observed, regardless of CF change (P>0.05, both). Atrial ectopics during sinus rhythm were observed more frequently when CF was ≥10 g (P<0.0005). Increasing CF at a location was associated with an increase in the complex fractionated atrial electrogram interval confidence level score, but only if initial CF was <10 g and CF increased ≥8 g (P=0.003). The dominant frequency and organization index were unaffected by CF (P>0.1 for both). Changing catheter orientation from perpendicular to parallel in atrial fibrillation was associated with smaller, more positive complexes (P=0.001 for both), but no changes in complex fractionated atrial electrogram scores, dominant frequency or organization index (P>0.08 for each). Conclusions-During left atrial electrogram mapping, including complex fractionated atrial electrogram but not spectral parameter mapping, CF and catheter orientation influence results: consequently, mapping CFs should be ≥10 g to negate the influence of CF. Clinical Trials Registration

Section: Catheter Contact and Spectral Analysis Parameterssupporting

confidence: 70%

Section: Catheter Contact and Spectral Analysis Parameterssupporting

confidence: 70%

Impact of Catheter Contact Force on Human Left Atrial Electrogram Characteristics in Sinus Rhythm and Atrial Fibrillation

Ullah

Hunter

Baker

et al. 2015

“…21 Others have proposed targeting overlapping ; however, the role of dominant frequency in AF ablation remains unsettled. 23 In one large retrospective study of hundreds of EGMs, those exhibiting a high percentage of CEA were most likely to be associated with AF termination or increases in AFCL. 7 Further study in human AF has shown that CEA is highly prevalent in antral sites in paroxysmal AF, correlating with an increased efficacy of PVI alone in paroxysmal subjects.…”

Section: Selective Versus Generalized Cfae Regionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Selective Complex Fractionated Atrial Electrograms Targeting for Atrial Fibrillation Study (SELECT AF)

Verma

Sanders

Champagne

et al. 2014

Self Cite

Background-This study compared generalized complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAE) ablation versus a selective CFAE ablation strategy targeting areas of continuous electric activity. Methods and Results-Subjects with symptomatic, persistent/high-burden paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) were enrolled at 6 centers (n=86) and randomized to 1 of 2 arms. For group I, all CFAE regions with an interval confidence level >7 were ablated followed by pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). For group II, only CFAE sites with continuous electric activity were ablated followed by PVI. For PVI, all 4 PV antra were isolated with confirmed entrance block. Subjects were followed for 1 year with a visit, ECG, and 48-hour Holter every 3 months. Symptoms were confirmed by loop recording. The primary end point was freedom from arrhythmia >30 seconds at 1 year. For both group I and II, CFAE ablation prolonged AF cycle length (25±33 versus 23±33 ms; P=0.78) and resulted in similar rates of AF termination (37% versus 28%; P=0.42). Radiofrequency duration during CFAE ablation was significantly less in group II (23±20 versus 38±20 minutes; P=0.002). At 1-year follow-up, freedom from AF/atrial flutter/atrial tachycardia recurrence was significantly higher in group I versus group II after 1 procedure (50% versus 28%; P=0.03). There were also significantly fewer repeat procedures in group I (13% versus 36%; P=0.021). Conclusions-Continuous electric activity ablation+PVI result in a similar incidence of acute AF termination with significantly less radiofrequency time. However, incidence of repeat procedures and long-term recurrence of AF/atrial flutter/atrial tachycardia are significantly lower using generalized CFAE ablation+PVI. Clinical Trial Registration-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00926783 (Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol. 2014;7:55-62.)

“…The study lacked a control group without DF ablation, and the results achieved with their combined technique were not superior to those widely reported using CPVI alone. [27][28][29] Among patients with persistent AF, Verma et al 27 combined DF ablation with CPVI. Despite ablating all LA sites with a DF greater than the mean, there was minimal impact on AF cycle length, and long-term outcomes were not different from those in a control group that underwent CPVI alone.…”

Section: Is a Frequency-map-guided Ablation Strategy Rational?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatiotemporal Behavior of High Dominant Frequency During Paroxysmal and Persistent Atrial Fibrillation in the Human Left Atrium

Jarman

Wong

Kojodjojo

et al. 2012

Background-Sites of high dominant frequency (DF peak ) are thought to indicate the location of drivers of atrial fibrillation (AF), but characterization of their spatiotemporal distribution and stability, critical to their relevance as targets for catheter ablation, requires simultaneous global mapping of the left atrium. Methods and Results-Noncontact electrograms recorded simultaneously from 256 left atrial sites during spontaneous AF were analyzed. After subtraction of the ventricular component, fast Fourier transform identified the DF at each site. Focal areas of DF peak were defined as those having a DF >20% above all neighboring sites. Twenty-four patients with spontaneous AF (11 paroxysmal and 13 persistent) were studied. In paroxysmal AF, sites of DF peak (mean DF, 11.6±2.9 Hz) were observed in 100% of patients (present during 65% of the mapping period). In contrast, DF peak was detected in only 31% of patients with persistent AF (P<0.001) and for only 5% of the mapping period (P<0.001). In both groups, locations of DF peak varied widely in both consecutive and separated segments of AF (κ coefficient range, -0.07-0.22). Activation sequences around sites of DF peak did not demonstrate centrifugal activation that would be expected from focal drivers. Conclusions-Focal areas of high DF are more frequent in paroxysmal than persistent AF, are spatiotemporally unstable, are not the source of centrifugal activation, and are not, therefore, indicative of fixed drivers of AF. In the absence of spatiotemporal stability, the success of ablation at sites of DF peak cannot be explained by elimination of fixed drivers.(Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol. 2012;5:650-658.)