Analysis of the effect of temporal filtering in myocardial tissue velocity imaging

Signal filtering to reduce random noise may compromise the reliability of tissue velocity measurements. This study evaluates the influence of temporal filters on time and velocity variables derived from myocardial tissue velocity images acquired in 15 healthy individuals at a high frame rate (142-184 Hz). Different time and velocity variables from the basal septum were analyzed offline before and after temporal filtering from 20 to 60 milliseconds in 10-millisecond steps using software enabling retrieval of myocardial Doppler velocity and 2-dimensional information from different cardiac locations during the same cardiac cycle. Filtering affected the results by increasing variability of time and by underestimation of velocity variables, the rapid isovolumic events being particularly filter sensitive. In addition, at a certain range of sampling rate, ambiguity of filtering effect was observed. This ought to be considered if an optimal, high-fidelity tissue Doppler velocity signal is to be obtained.