Shape vs substrate in AF
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating the interplay of left atrial geometry with abnormal propagation patterns in atrial fibrillation
IRAS ID
320992
Contact name
Timothy Betts
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an abnormal heart rhythm which originates from the top two chambers (atria) of the heart. It can cause significant symptoms and have severe consequences such as stroke.
Catheter ablation is a treatment for AF. It is minimally invasive, involving thin tubes known as catheters, being inserted through a blood vessel in the groin and passed to the heart under X-ray guidance. Once in the heart, regions of tissue believed responsible for the abnormal heart rhythm can be identified, and hot or cold energy used to create scar at these areas, preventing the abnormal rhythm.
Identifying these regions is a key challenge in making the treatment as effective as possible. We believe that there may be a change in the shape of a patient’s atria in these regions and as such identifying and treating areas of abnormal shape may be beneficial.
To investigate this, we propose three phases of investigation. The first, uses previously collected data to make a model of what is average atrial geometry in AF. We will then compare individual patients’ atrial geometries to this average shape to identify areas of geometric abnormality and see how these correspond to areas of abnormal electrical activity. In the second phase, we will collect new data on how much atrial geometry changes during catheter ablation procedures. Finally, in the third phase, we will investigate whether including geometric assessment in the catheter ablation procedure is feasible from a work flow perspective.
REC name
Wales REC 1
REC reference
23/WA/0253
Date of REC Opinion
8 Sep 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion