Longitudinal Study by Two-Dimensional Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography of the Left Ventricle Rotational Mechanics during Postnatal Adaptation in Healthy Newborns

Improvements in the assessment of cardiac function have led to a better understanding of the different mechanisms involved in normal left ventricular (LV) function.1 Two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography is a well-validated method to assess the rotational mechanics of the heart. Among them, the LV twist mechanism is defined by the net apex-to-base rotation difference and refers to the LV wringing motion during systole.2 Based on recent works focused on the analysis of the orientation of myocardial fibers in fetal and neonatal hearts using polarized imaging, we hypothesized that the onset of the LV twist occurred during the postnatal adaptation period.
Source: Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Brief Research Communication Source Type: research