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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
08:10
Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: July 20, 2022
Automated Echocardiographic Assessment of Left Atrial Remodeling in Atrial Fibrillation Using Dynamic HeartModel and
Xiaoyi Gong1, Manying Xie1, Jiabao Yin1
1Department of Ultrasound, Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang, China.
Echocardiography (Mount Kisco, N.Y.)
|July 30, 2026
Summary
Automated 3D Dynamic HeartModel and AutoStrain LA reveal progressive left atrial enlargement and dysfunction with increasing atrial fibrillation (AF) stage. These reproducible measures aid in characterizing AF-related atrial remodeling.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with structural and functional changes in the left atrium (LA).
- Accurate assessment of LA size and function is crucial for understanding AF pathophysiology and progression.
- Automated echocardiographic analysis tools offer potential for standardized and efficient LA assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare left atrial (LA) size, emptying function, and strain in non-AF controls, paroxysmal AF (PAF), and persistent AF (PeAF) patients.
- To evaluate the association between AF stage and LA parameters using automated 3D Dynamic HeartModel (DHM) and AutoStrain LA.
- To assess the reproducibility of these automated LA measurements.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 210 participants (70 controls, 70 PAF, 70 PeAF).
- LA volumes and LA ejection fraction (LAEF) measured via automated 3D DHM; LA strain assessed using AutoStrain LA.
- Multivariable regression analyzed associations with LA volume index (LAVI), LAEF, and LA reservoir strain (LASr); reproducibility assessed via intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs).
Main Results:
- Significant graded increases in LAVI and decreases in LAEF and LA reservoir strain (LASr) were observed across controls, PAF, and PeAF groups (all p < 0.001).
- AF stage independently correlated with higher LAVI, lower LAEF, and lower LASr after multivariable adjustment (all p < 0.001).
- High intra- and inter-observer ICCs (0.964-0.989) indicated excellent reproducibility for all LA parameters.
Conclusions:
- Automated 3D DHM and AutoStrain LA effectively demonstrate progressive LA enlargement, reduced function, and impaired strain across different AF types.
- These validated, reproducible automated measurements can aid in characterizing LA structural and functional remodeling in AF patients.
- The findings support the utility of these advanced echocardiographic techniques for managing AF.
