Novel Speckle-Tracking Radial Strain From Routine Black-and-White Echocardiographic Images to Quantify Dyssynchrony and Predict Response to Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy

BACKGROUND: Mechanical dyssynchrony is a potential means to predict response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). We hypothesized that novel echocardiographic image speckle tracking can quantify dyssynchrony and predict response to CRT. METHODS AND RESULTS: Seventy-four subjects were studied: 64 heart failure patients undergoing CRT (aged 64+/-12 years, ejection fraction 26+/-6%, QRS duration 157+/-28 ms) and 10 normal controls. Speckle tracking applied to routine midventricular short-axis images calculated radial strain from multiple circumferential points averaged to 6 standard segments. Dyssynchrony from timing of speckle-tracking peak radial strain was correlated with tissue Doppler measures in 47…

• NI
  National Institutes of Health
• MC
  Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh