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QRS complex duration enhancement as ventricular late potential indicator by signal-averaged ECG using time-amplitude alignments

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Published/Copyright: March 1, 2013
Biomedizinische Technik/Biomedical Engineering
From the journal Biomedizinische Technik/Biomedical Engineering Volume 58 Issue 2

Abstract

Ventricular late potentials (VLPs) are small-amplitude waves with a short duration that appear at the end part of the QRS complex, making a QRS complex duration larger. The signal-averaged electrocardiography (ECG) technique enhances VLPs and beats, assuming noise as the only random variable. However, ECG signals are not completely stationary and different elongations appear in both time and amplitude in each beat. This research proposes to use piecewise linear approximation to segment each beat and performs the alignment of the beats using the technique known as derivative dynamic time-warping to have beats better aligned and consequently enhance the presence of VLPs. We recorded high-resolution ECGs (HRECGs) from 50 subjects in supine position with no heart-stroke antecedents. VLPs were created synthetically and added to the HRECGs. Two cases were evaluated: (i) duration of the QRS complexes with VLPs without beats alignment, and (ii) duration of QRS complexes with VLPs using beats alignment in time and amplitude. Considering QRS duration as an indicative of VLP presence, results show that when using beats alignment in time and amplitude it is possible to reach a sensitivity of 0.96 and a specificity of 0.52, as opposed to 0.72 and 0.40, respectively, when using only averaging without beats alignment in time and amplitude.

Keywords: late potential indicators; QRS duration; time-amplitude alignment
Corresponding author: Roberto L. Avitia, Full Professor and Member of the Bioengineering and Environmental Health Research Group, University Autonomous of Baja California, Benito Juarez Blvd. s/n. Mexicali B.C., 21280 Mexico, Phone: +52-6865664270

We would like to acknowledge the sponsorship granted by the Fifteenth Internal Call for Research Projects for New Researchers 105/6/N/41/15-1908 from the Autonomous University of Baja California.

Conflict of interest statement:

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

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Received: 2012-9-10
Accepted: 2013-1-28
Published Online: 2013-03-01
Published in Print: 2013-04-01

©2013 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston

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https://doi.org/10.1515/bmt-2012-0120
Keywords for this article
late potential indicators; QRS duration; time-amplitude alignment

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Masthead
  2. Masthead
  3. Editorial
  4. Young scientist award papers from the workshop on bioelectric and biomagnetic signal processing 2012
  5. Research articles
  6. Ectopic beats and their influence on the morphology of subsequent waves in the electrocardiogram
  7. Online learning algorithms for principal component analysis applied on single-lead ECGs
  8. Coupling analysis of transient cardiovascular dynamics
  9. Multiple circular-circular correlation coefficients for the quantification of phase synchronization processes in the brain
  10. Validity of subthalamic-cortical coherency observed in patients with Parkinson’s disease
  11. Identifying causal networks of neuronal sources from EEG/MEG data with the phase slope index: a simulation study
  12. QRS complex duration enhancement as ventricular late potential indicator by signal-averaged ECG using time-amplitude alignments
  13. Are there any differences in various polyaxial locking systems? A mechanical study of different locking screws in multidirectional angular stable distal radius plates
  14. Integrating strength tests of amputees within the protocol of conventional clinical gait analysis: a novel approach
  15. Simultaneous assessment of autonomic nervous and vascular endothelial functions in a rat model
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