Subclinical atrial fibrillation prediction based on deep learning and strain analysis using echocardiography

Subclinical atrial fibrillation (SCAF), also known as atrial high-rate episodes (AHREs), refers to asymptomatic heart rate elevations associated with increased risks of atrial fibrillation and cardiovascular events. Although deep learning (DL) models leveraging echocardiographic images from ultrasound are widely used for cardiac function analysis, their application to AHRE prediction remains unexplored. This study introduces a novel DL-based framework for automatic AHRE detection using echocardiograms. The approach encompasses left atrium (LA) segmentation, LA strain feature extraction, and AHRE classification. Data from 117 patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices undergoing echocardiography were analyzed, with 80% allocated to the development set and 20% to the test set. LA segmentation accuracy was quantified using the Dice coefficient, yielding scores of 0.923 for the LA cavity and 0.741 for the LA wall. For AHRE classification, metrics such as area under the curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were employed. A transformer-based model integrating patient characteristics demonstrated robust performance, achieving mean AUC of 0.815, accuracy of 0.809, sensitivity of 0.800, and specificity of 0.783 for a 24-h AHRE duration threshold. This framework represents a reliable tool for AHRE assessment and holds significant potential for early SCAF detection, enhancing clinical decision-making and patient outcomes.