[Programmed atrial stimulation in the study of sinoatrial conduction in normal subjects (author's transl)]

Sinoatrial conduction was investigated in 18 normal subjects, using premature atrial depolarizations. The results obtained in this investigation were evaluated plotting the test cycle (expressed as difference between the basic sinus cycle and the test cycle as a percentage of the basic sinus cycle) as a function of the return cycle (expressed as difference between the return cycle and the basic cycle as a percentage of the basic sinus cycle). In normal subjects, premature atrial depolarizations elicited in the last 10-20% of the spontaneous sinus cycle, produced a progressive prolongation of the return cycle and the points correlating the return cycle index to the test cycle index fell above the diagonal of the plotting system. After earlier premature atrial stimulations, the return cycle stayed the same length, and the points correlating the return cycle index to the test cycle index fell along a line parallel to "y" axis (plateau). The mean value of the returning cycle (expressed as above) corresponding to the test cycles (evaluated as above) included in the first 5% of the "plateau" can be defined as the "sinoatrial conduction index". This index, the sum of conduction into and out of the sinus node, ranged from 79 msec to 187 msec. By assuming similar anterograde and retrograde conduction, the sinoatrial conduction time ranged from 39.5 msec to 97.5 msec (mean value 70 msec).