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Updated: May 11, 2026

Transthoracic Speckle Tracking Echocardiography for the Quantitative Assessment of Left Ventricular Myocardial Deformation
Published on: October 20, 2016
Influence of heart rate on myocardial function using two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in healthy
Ryohei Suzuki1, Hirotaka Matsumoto, Takahiro Teshima
1Division of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Department of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, 1-7-1 Kyonan-cho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8602, Japan. d01005@nvlu.ac.jp
Objective:
The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of heart rate (HR) on myocardial function assessed by two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) in healthy dogs.
Animals:
Thirteen healthy beagle dogs.
Methods:
Animals were anesthetized and HR was controlled with right atrial pacing. Myocardial function of each dog was assessed using 2D-STE at pacing rates of 120, 140, 160, and 180 bpm.
Results:
All strain and strain rate variables in the longitudinal, circumferential, and radial directions were not significantly different between pacing rates. Peak early diastolic torsion rate at 180 bpm was significantly increased compared with that at 120 bpm (P = 0.003).
Conclusion:
Torsion rate in early diastole was elevated at 180 bpm, which may reflect improved myocardial relaxation with higher HR. Changes in left ventricular torsion during tachycardia may play an important role in preserving stroke volume in the presence of shortened ejection and filling times.
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