Modulation of the Expression of Long-Term Cardiac Memory by Short-Term Cardiac Memory in Patients With Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome After Catheter Ablation

Abstract

Background The interaction between long-and short-term cardiac memory (CM) is unknown. Methods and Results The T-wave areas and QTc intervals in each ECG lead were analyzed in 11 patients with manifest Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome with posterior or septal accessory pathway (4 females; mean age: 47±12 years) in the following ECGs: (1) immediately after catheter ablation (post-ablation ECG); (2) immediately after 20 min of right ventricular outlet pacing (post-pacing ECG); and (3) 1 week after ablation (recovery ECG). Compared with the post-ablation ECGs, the T-wave areas of the recovery ECGs in leads II and aV_F changed dramatically from negative to positive while that in lead III became less negative (p<0.01), and those in leads I, aV_L, and V_2-4 became less positive (p<0.05). Compared with the post-ablation ECGs, the T-wave areas of the post-pacing ECGs in leads III and aV_F became less negative (p<0.01), and those in leads I, aV_L, and V_2-4 became less positive (p<0.05). The QTc interval in the post-ablation ECG was significantly longer than in either the post-pacing or recovery ECGs (p<0.05). Conclusions Mechanisms involved in the expression of long-term CM could be affected by short-term CM. (Circ J 2007; 71: 331 - 337)