DTI in Athlete's Heart
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Quantitative CMR imaging biomarkers to stratify risk in Athlete’s Heart Syndrome
IRAS ID
228346
Contact name
Erica Dall'Armellina
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leeds
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 5 months, 1 days
Research summary
Following sudden arrhythmic death events in young athletes, early recognition of athlete’s heart syndrome (thickening of the heart muscle as a result of exercise) and differential diagnosis from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), an inherited disease which causes the heart muscle to become thickened, has become crucial. Our group has been investigating the role of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) to differentiate HCM from athlete’s heart but more work is needed. One feature that distinguishes HCM from athlete’s heart is the cellular disarray of the heart muscle. An imaging technique to enable early definite and differential diagnosis of athlete’s heart versus HCM would be of high clinical relevance. So far, no such technique has been established. Novel technical developments including Cardiac Diffusion Tensor imaging (DTI) are now available in our centre; DTI allows for assessment of the cardiac micro-structural architecture and its disarray. Comprehensive CMR imaging including DTI and metabolism would enable us to investigate the correlation of imaging findings with rhythm abnormalities, which can potentially cause sudden death in these athletes.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/YH/0183
Date of REC Opinion
28 Jul 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion