Spatial resolution of body surface potential maps and magnetic field maps : a simulation study applied to the identification of ventricular pre-excitation sites

• Published in: Medical & biological engineering & computing 1998-03, Vol.36 (2), p.145-157
• Main Authors: HREN, R, STROINK, G, HORACEK, B. M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ablation; Accessories; Bioelectric potentials; Biological and medical sciences; Body Surface Potential Mapping; Cardiac arrhythmia; Cardiology; Catheter Ablation; Computer Simulation; Diseases; Electrocardiography; Electrocardiography. Vectocardiography; Electrodiagnosis. Electric activity recording; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Magnetic fields; Magnetics; Magnetism; Mathematical models; Medical sciences; Models, Cardiovascular; Pathways; Patient treatment; Pre-Excitation Syndromes - physiopathology; Pre-Excitation Syndromes - surgery; Spatial resolution
• ISSN: 0140-0118; 1741-0444
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02510736

The spatial resolution of body surface potential maps (BSPMs) and magnetic field maps (MFMs) is investigated by means of an anatomically accurate computer model of the human ventricular myocardium. BSPMs and MFMs are calculated for the simulated activation sequences initiated at 35 pre-excitation sites located along the atrioventricular (AV) ring of the epicardium. Changes in the BSPMs and MFMs corresponding to different pre-excitation sites are quantified in terms of the correlation coefficient r. The spatial resolution (selectivity) for a given pre-excitation site is defined as the half-distance between those neighbouring locations at which morphological features of maps, in terms of r, become distinct (r < 0.95). It is found that, at 28 ms after the onset of pre-excitation and with no noise added, this distance +/- SD, for all sites along the AV ring for the 117-lead BSPMs, is 0.83 +/- 0.32 cm, and for the 64-lead and 128-lead MFMs it is 1.54 +/- 0.84 cm and 1.15 +/- 0.43 cm, respectively. The findings suggest that, when features of non-invasively recorded electrocardiographic and magnetocardiographic map patterns are used for identifying accessory pathways in patients suffering from WPW syndrome, BSPMs are likely to provide more detailed information for guiding the ablative treatment than MFMs. For some sites MFMs provide more information. Both modalities may provide additional assistance to the cardiologist in locating the site of the accessory pathway.