Effect of right ventricular pacing on cardiac apex rotation assessed by a gyroscopic sensor

ASAIO J. 2007 May-Jun;53(3):304-9. doi: 10.1097/MAT.0b013e31805370e3.

Abstract

To quantify cardiac apex rotation (CAR), the authors recently proposed the use of a Coriolis force sensor (gyroscope) as an alternative to other complex techniques. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of right ventricular (RV) pacing on CAR. A sheep heart was initially paced from the right atrium to induce a normal activation sequence at a fixed heart rate (AAI mode) and then an atrioventricular pacing was performed (DOO mode, AV delay = 60 ms). A small gyroscope was epicardially glued on the cardiac apex to measure the angular velocity (Ang V). From AAI to DOO pacing mode, an increase (+9.2%, p < 0.05) of the maximum systolic twisting velocity (Ang VMAX) and a marked decrease (-19.9%, p < 0.05) of the maximum diastolic untwisting velocity (Ang VMIN) resulted. RV pacing had negligible effects (-3.1%, p = 0.09) on the maximum angle of CAR, obtained by integrating Ang V. The hemodynamic parameters of systolic (LVdP/dtMAX) and diastolic (LVdP/dtMIN) cardiac function showed slight variations (-3.8%, p < 0.05 and +3.9%, p < 0.05, respectively). Results suggest that cardiac dyssynchrony induced by RV pacing can alter the normal physiological ventricular twist patterns, particularly affecting diastolic untwisting velocity.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Diastole / physiology
  • Female
  • Heart / physiology*
  • Heart Function Tests / instrumentation*
  • Heart Rate / physiology
  • Heart Ventricles
  • Implants, Experimental
  • Pacemaker, Artificial*
  • Sheep
  • Systole / physiology