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Abstract: Factorial phase analysis (FaPI) represents an alternative method to Fourier phase analysis (FoPI) in the evaluation and detection of abnormalities on cardiac contraction patterns, but it has limitations in representing the sequence in abnormal contraction patterns. In this work we propose a modified factorial phase image (FaPIm) that incorporates more complete information regarding the ventricular contraction sequence. In particular, we analyze and evaluate the contribution of the third eigenimage, in the presence of ventricular dyssynchrony, which has not been sufficiently explored in the literature. We have validated the proposed FaPIm using two Equilibrium Radionuclide Angiography (ERNA) sets of images obtained with a dynamic cardiac phantom and with a numerically simulated phantom. Also, we have tested the proposed representation for a control group of 23 normal subjects and for a sample of 15 patients with Complete Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB). Whereas FoPI allows us to obtain an image that synthesizes ventricular contraction with the smallest dispersion around the mean values, FaPI and FaPIm show that external areas surrounding ventricular cavities present more dephasing than the rest of the ventricular region and contain more detailed information about the progression of contraction. Also, in the presence of an abnormal contraction pattern, the magnitude of the third eigenvalue was greater than the corresponding eigenvalue obtained for normal simulations. The dispersion plots obtained for a normal contraction pattern show that left ventricle (LV) and right ventricle (RV) information overlap. Therefore, when there is a dyssynchrony between LV and RV contraction it becomes necessary to incorporate the information corresponding to the third factor to achieve a clear separation between regions. In the comparison of the indices of control and LBBB populations, FaPIm shows significant differences in five out of six contraction indices, showing its promising value as a clinical tool. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Radionuclide-based imaging is an alternative to evaluate ventricular function and synchrony and may be used as a tool for the identification of patients that could benefit from cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). In a previous work, we used Factor Analysis of Dynamic Structures (FADS) to analyze the contribution and spatial distribution of the 3 most significant factors (3- MSF) present in a dynamic series of equilibrium radionuclide angiography images. In this work, a probability density function model of the 3-MSF extracted from FADS for a control group is presented; also an index, based on the likelihood between the control group's contraction model and a sample of normal subjects is proposed. This normality index was compared with those computed for two cardiopathic populations, satisfying the clinical criteria to be considered as candidates for a CRT. The proposed normality index provides a measure, consistent with the phase analysis currently used in clinical environment, sensitive enough to show contraction differences between normal and abnormal groups, which suggests that it can be related to the degree of severity in the ventricular contraction dyssynchrony, and therefore shows promise as a follow-up procedure for patients under CRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Equilibrium radionuclide angiography (ERNA) has become an established method for assessing cardiac function. However, limited data are available to evaluate ventricular synchrony with ERNA. The aim of this study was to assess the variability and accuracy of ERNA to evaluate ventricular synchrony by means of phase images in healthy individuals and to compare them with a group of subjects with left bundle-branch block (interventricular dyssynchrony, LBBB) and with a group of patients with nonischemic, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) (inter- and intraventricular dyssynchrony). Methods: The population was divided into groups as follows: group 1 included 22 healthy subjects, group 2 included 11 patients with LBBB and normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and group 3 included 14 DCM patients with LVEF <35% and LBBB. Interventricular synchrony was measured as the difference between LV mean phase angle (mPA) and RV mPA (LV−RV mPA). Intraventricular synchrony for each ventricle was measured as the standard deviation (SD) of the RV mPA and LA mPA blood pools. Results: Intra- and interobserver correlation coefficients were high for both inter- and intraventricular synchrony parameters. Area under the curve (AUC) was 0.98 for LV−RV mPA (p <0.001; 95% CI: 0.947–1.0). A cutoff value of 10° yielded 96% sensitivity and 99% specificity to identify interventricular dyssynchrony. AUC was high for SD RV mPA and SD LV mPA (AUC = 1.0, p <0.001; 95% CI: 1.0–1.0 and AUC = 0.99, p <0.001; 95% CI: 0.979–1.0). A cutoff value of 22° for SD LV mPA yielded 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity to identify LV intraventricular dyssynchrony. A cutoff value of 20° for SD RV mPA yielded 100% sensitivity and 99% specificity to identify RV intraventricular dyssynchrony. Conclusions: ERNA is an accurate and highly reproducible technique for evaluation of ventricular function and synchrony. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]