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Updated: May 28, 2026

Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
08:10

Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

Published on: July 20, 2022

Volumetric and Functional Features of Left Atrium in Chronic Schizophrenia-Detailed Analysis from Three-Dimensional

Attila Nemes1, Renáta Halcsik1, Árpád Kormányos1

  • 1Department of Medicine, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Semmelweis Street 8, P.O. Box 427, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary.

Biomedicines
|May 27, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Patients with schizophrenia exhibit significant left atrial abnormalities, including reduced volumes and altered function. These findings underscore the need for comprehensive cardiac assessments in this population.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Psychiatry
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Cardiovascular disease is prevalent in schizophrenia patients, with underdiagnosis and undertreatment.
  • Limited data exists on cardiac structural and functional abnormalities, especially concerning the left atrium (LA).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate left atrial (LA) volumetric and functional properties in chronic schizophrenia (SCH) patients using 3D speckle-tracking echocardiography (3DSTE).
  • To compare LA function in SCH patients with age-, gender-, and BMI-matched healthy controls (HCs).

Main Methods:

  • Utilized 3DSTE to assess LA volumes and function in 17 SCH patients and 40 HCs.
  • Comprehensive two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography was also performed.

Main Results:

  • SCH patients showed reduced LA volumes across all cardiac cycle phases.
  • Significant alterations in LA function were observed, including reduced stroke volumes and increased passive emptying fraction.
  • Increased global and regional LA strain parameters (area strain, radial strain, circumferential strain, longitudinal strain) were noted in SCH patients, indicating overcompensating functional changes.

Conclusions:

  • Chronic schizophrenia is linked to significant left atrial volumetric and functional abnormalities.
  • These findings emphasize the necessity of comprehensive cardiac evaluations in schizophrenia patients, extending beyond left ventricular analysis.

Keywords:
cardiovascular diseasechronicechocardiographyleft atriumschizophreniaspeckle-trackingstrainthree-dimensionalvolume

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