Abstract

Objective: To compare the values of three different forms of tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) processing in predicting left ventricular (LV) reverse remodelling—namely, tissue velocity, displacement and strain mapping.

Design: Standard echocardiography with TDI was performed before and 3 months after cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT).

Setting: University teaching hospital.

Patients: 55 patients with heart failure who received CRT and were followed up for at least 3 months were recruited.

Interventions: During off-line analysis, the time to peak systolic velocity in the ejection phase, time to peak positive displacement and time to peak negative strain were measured in the six basal, six mid-segmental model. Parameters of systolic asynchrony derived by velocity, displacement and strain mapping were correlated with percentage reduction in LV end systolic volume (LVESV) and absolute gain in ejection fraction (EF).

Results: Among the three TDI processing technologies, all parameters of tissue velocity correlated with LV reverse remodelling (r  = −0.49 to r  =  −0.76, all p < 0.001), but the predictive value was strongest in models with 12 LV segments. For displacement mapping, only the two parameters that included 12 LV segments correlated modestly with reduction in LVESV (r  =  −0.36, p < 0.05) and gain in EF. However, none of the strain mapping parameters predicted a favourable echocardiographic response. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve areas were higher for parameters of tissue velocity based on 12 LV segments (ROC areas 0.88 and 0.94) than the corresponding areas derived from displacement mapping (ROC areas 0.72 and 0.71).

Conclusion: Tissue velocity parameters of systolic asynchrony are superior to those of displacement and strain mapping in predicting LV reverse remodelling response after CRT.