Abstract
Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the magnitude and time course of fibrillatory wave dynamics during spontaneous onset of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods: We studied fibrillatory waves in Holter recordings of paroxysmal AF with regard to the fibrillation-free interval (FFI) preceding each episode. Results: For 38 episodes of paroxysmal AF in 20 patients, dominant frequency (DF) ranged from 4.4 to 6.8 Hz (5.5 ± 0.5 Hz). Long-FFI episodes showed a gradual increase in DF over the first 4 minutes (P < .0001). Short-FFI episodes showed an increase only from the first to the second minute (P < .003). For all 7 patients exhibiting both long-FFI and short-FFI episodes, short-FFI episodes had a higher initial DF (P < .002). Conclusion: The dynamics during onset and their relation to the FFI are consistent with the influence of short-term electrophysiological changes and their reversal. These findings have implications for the timing of antifibrillatory interventions.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 155-160 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Journal of Electrocardiology |
Volume | 40 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 2007 |
Keywords
- Atrial fibrillation
- Cancellation
- Electrophysiological changes
- Spectral analysis
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine