LAWT and EP characteristics using CT
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Left atrial wall thickness assessment using cardiac computed tomography and its impact on electrophysiology
IRAS ID
171620
Contact name
Mark O'Neill
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 9 months, 1 days
Research summary
Atrial fibrillation ('AF’) is a heart condition affecting 2% of the UK population. When a patient suffers from AF the ‘atria’ (the upper chambers in their heart) stop pumping due to a disturbance in the electrical signals that normally control it.
AF is a serious condition that can cause stroke and heart-failure. Drugs designed to prevent AF are frequently ineffective and can be dangerous, so procedures that reduce the need for drug treatment are important.
‘Catheter ablation’ (CA) procedures are ‘keyhole’ procedures involving cauterisation of parts of the heart responsible for AF. To be effective, the cauterisation must create a scar that crosses the full thickness of the atrial wall. The thickness of the atrial wall varies from under 1mm to over 8mm, so the amount of cauterisation required to form an effective scar varies significantly. The most serious complications of CA result from excessive cauterisation that damages the atrial wall, other heart structures or structures outside the heart. These complications are more likely where the atrial wall is thinnest.
Variation in the atrial wall thickness is a significant cause of CA treatment failure. We have developed a technique to measure atrial wall thickness from computed tomography (CT or ‘CAT’) scans. We believe that providing the operator with information regarding wall thickness during procedures would allow safer and more effective treatment of AF.
Evidence from laboratory experiments suggests that electrical properties of the heart change with atrial wall thickness. These can assessed by measuring electrical signals inside the heart.
We will perform a CT scan of patient’s with AF's hearts. At the time of their procedure, we will measure electrical signals in their heart and examine how these measurements are affected by variations in wall thickness. We will compare these findings with the wall thickness in other patient’s undergoing CCT.
REC name
London - Westminster Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/1803
Date of REC Opinion
23 Nov 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion