Magnetocardiographic QT dispersion during cardiovascular autonomic function tests

QT dispersion is considered to reflect nonhomogeneity of ventricular repolarization. The autonomic nervous system modulates QT interval duration, but the effect may not be spatially homogenous. Magnetocardiography (MCG) registers the weak magnetic fields generated by myocardial electric currents with high localizing accuracy. We studied the effects of rapid cardiovascular autonomic nervous adjustment on QT dispersion in MCG. Ten healthy male volunteers were monitored during deep breathing, the Valsalva maneuver, sustained handgrip, hyperventilation, the cold pressor test and mental stress. 67 MCG channels and 12 ECG leads were recorded simultaneously. A computer algorithm was used for QT interval measurements. QT dispersion was defined as maximum - minimum or standard deviation of the QTpeak and QTend intervals. In MCG the QT(end) dispersion increased during deep inspiration compared with deep expiration (96+/-19 ms v. 73+/-27 ms, p = 0.05). Magnetic QT dispersion tended to increase during the bradycardia phase of the Valsalva maneuver, but the change was obvious only for QT(end) (55+/-26 ms v. 76+/-29 ms, p<0.05). Other tests had no significant effect on QT dispersion, not even the cold pressor test, although it causes strong sympathetic activation. Magnetic and electric QT(peak) and QT(end) intervals correlated closely (r = 0.93 and 0.91), whereas the QT dispersion measures showed no correlation. In conclusion, magnetic QT dispersion is not modified by rapid changes in autonomic tone, but maneuvers involving deep respiratory efforts and changes in ventricular loading affect QT dispersion measurements.