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2017 Cardiovascular Research Day Abstract Book

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103<br />

Alternating heights of the R wave in ECG: possible link with depolarization<br />

alternans<br />

Sahar Varnoosfaderani 1 , David Wasemiller 1 , Siqi Wang 1 , Paul Anaya 2 , and Abhijit<br />

Patwardhan 1 .<br />

1<br />

Department of Biomedical Engineering and 2 Division of <strong>Cardiovascular</strong> Medicine. University of<br />

Kentucky.<br />

Alternans of the T wave in the ECG (TWA) is widely investigated as a potential predictor of<br />

ventricular arrhythmia, however, clinical trials show that TWA has high negative predictive<br />

value but poor positive predictive value. A possible reason that TWA has a large number of false<br />

positives is that a pattern of alternans, concordant alternans, may not be as arrhythmogenic as<br />

discordant alternans. Currently, it is not possible to discern the pattern of alternans using<br />

clinical ECGs. However, our research using tissue and cellular level electrophysiological<br />

measurements suggest that depolarization alternans which affects the pattern of alternans may<br />

manifest itself in the amplitude of the R wave of the ECGs. In order to investigate the link<br />

between depolarization alternans and changes in ECGs, we used a mathematical model which<br />

simulated ECGs from the cellular level changes observed in our experimental studies. These<br />

results suggest that the changes in ECGs should appear as alternating pattern of the heights of<br />

the R wave. However, there are a variety of factors which may also cause the R wave heights to<br />

change. We use signal analysis and statistical modeling to determine the link between the<br />

observed changes in R wave heights and depolarization alternans. Results from ECGs recorded<br />

from patients show that heights of the R wave can change as predicted by our experimental<br />

results and mathematical models. These results support further exploration of the link between<br />

depolarization and repolarization alternans as it has the potential to improve the positive<br />

predictive value of TWA.<br />

Supported by grants from the Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation (KSEF RDE18)<br />

and NSF EPSCoR RII Track-2.<br />

119

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