Speckle Tracking Using Gray-Scale Information from Tissue Doppler Recordings versus Regular Gray-Scale Recordings in Term Neonates

Left ventricular rotational mechanics in infants with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and preterm infants at 36 weeks postmenstrual age: A comparison with healthy term controls

“…Strain measurements are highly reproducible with intra‐class correlation coefficients (ICCs) >.9 and coefficients of variation values <10% . Recently, Nestaas et al . demonstrated that the ICC for longitudinal peak systolic strain was .94/.87 inter/intra‐observer and .91/.94 for peak systolic strain rate in analyses of left and right ventricles combined.…”

“…10,[18][19][20] Strain measurements are highly reproducible with intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) >.9 and coefficients of variation values <10%. 20 Recently, Nestaas et al 21 demonstrated that the ICC for longitudinal peak systolic strain was .94/.87 inter/intra-observer and .91/.94 for peak systolic strain rate in analyses of left and right ventricles combined. Similarly, rotational mechanics are highly reproducible in neonates: basal and apical rotation, LV twist, and LV torsion demonstrate ICCs between from .78 and .96 (P<.001 for all).…”

Deformation imaging and rotational mechanics in neonates: a guide to image acquisition, measurement, interpretation, and reference values

“…Three-cycle analysis is more reproducible than single-cycle analysis in TD imaging, and a minimum of three cycles must be recorded for offline processing. 1 …”

“…Characterization of myocardial adaptation with echocardiography during the critical periods of development in neonates is important for recognition and management of circulatory disturbances. 1 Conventional measures of left ventricular (LV) function, such as shortening (SF) and ejection fraction (EF), assess the changes in cavity dimensions, but are insufficient to detect overt dysfunction in a timely manner, because their measurements are influenced by image quality and inadequate reproducibility and standardization in neonates. 2 Similarly, conventional techniques to estimate right ventricular (RV) performance rely largely on quantitative estimates and qualitative predictions that are limited because of the unique three-dimensional structure of the chamber.…”

Tissue Doppler velocity imaging and event timings in neonates: a guide to image acquisition, measurement, interpretation, and reference values

“…The frame-rate requirements are probably more critical for short-time intervals and for diastolic velocities than for long-time intervals, systolic velocities, and displacements. 13 , 14 , 49 The sector should be narrow and shallow to keep the frame-rate high, but it must show the relevant structures throughout the cardiac cycle. Acquisition of several cardiac cycles will enable direct comparisons between heartbeats and is a prerequisite for averaging between heartbeats.…”