VOLTage Mapping in Atrial Fibrillation (VOLT-AF)

April 2, 2021 updated by: GUENANCIA Charles, Central Hospital, Nancy, France

The purpose of this study is to retrospectively analyze electroanatomical data collected during persistent atrial fibrillation ablation procedures, combined with pre-ablation cardiac CT data, in order to:

  • define a new method for quantifying left atrial voltage in atrial fibrillation via a total energy map instead of a peak-to-peak amplitude map
  • confirm the association between epicardial fat localization and atrial conduction slowing

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Detailed Description

Background:

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia, with an estimated prevalence in 2010 of 33.5 million people (3% of the world population). It is now estimated that 1 in 4 middle-aged adults in Europe and the United States will develop AF in their lifetime. Of course, the aging of the population is considered one of the major explanations for this pandemic phenomenon, as well as the ever-increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity. Complications related to this arrhythmia are numerous and frequent, with thromboembolic events having a major impact on morbidity. Thus, it is estimated that AF is responsible for a quarter of ischemic strokes and increases the risk of stroke fivefold. At the same time, there is an increased risk of long-term heart failure, which is responsible for excess mortality. Finally, patients with AF frequently have an impaired quality of life and a higher rate of hospitalization than patients in sinus rhythm (10 to 40% of patients with AF are hospitalized at least once a year). An association between AF and cognitive decline and risk of vascular dementia (even in patients treated with anticoagulants) has also been described. Depending on the temporality of AF, it is referred to as paroxysmal, persistent, or permanent AF.

Endocavitary ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation was first described by the Bordeaux team of Prof. Michel Haïssaguerre in the early 1990s, who demonstrated the role of electrical discharges from the pulmonary veins in the initiation of (paroxysmal) AF. The following years therefore saw the development of tools to electrically isolate the pulmonary veins from the left atrium, and then to try to identify and treat additional pathological areas in the atria for more advanced (persistent) forms of AF. The advent of three-dimensional modeling technologies has made it possible to develop intracardiac navigation systems to guide AF ablation in 3D, while limiting fluoroscopy time for the patient and staff.

In persistent AF, unlike paroxysmal AF, the technique used and the ablation targets are less codified, with success rates lower than those obtained in paroxysmal AF. Indeed, unlike paroxysmal AF, the pathophysiology of which is well understood, there is no unicist consensus theory for persistent AF. Based on the hypothesis of the predominance of the substrate over the pulmonary venous trigger in the self-maintenance of persistent AF, teams have highlighted the major role of left atrial fibrosis in this pathology, which is the cause of conduction heterogeneity in the left atrium. Work to elucidate the triggers of this fibrotic disease emphasizes the key role of periatrial epicardial fat, which secretes pro-fibrotic mediators and deregulates the atrial ganglionic plexi. An association has also been made between epicardial fat volume and the incidence and maintenance of atrial fibrillation. In addition, recent work demonstrates that the peri-atrial adipocyte environment modulates not only fibrosis but also the conductive properties of atrial cells.

During endocavitary ablation of atrial fibrillation, multi-electrode diagnostic catheters allow precise electroanatomical reconstruction of the left atrium, quantifying its geometry but also the local electrical signals (electrograms), in terms of amplitude (voltage map) and temporality relative to a reference (activation map). It is therefore theoretically possible to build a map of conduction velocities in sinus rhythm or electroentrainment in the atrium, by calculating the velocity and vector of electrical depolarization between each electrogram. In parallel, before any AF ablation, an injected cardiac CT scan is performed for three-dimensional atrial reconstruction. This scan also allows the quantification of the atrial epicardial fat in terms of volume and density. We therefore want to develop an algorithm allowing the construction of a map of velocities in sinus rhythm, fused to the three-dimensional reconstruction of the location of the atrial epicardial fat.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Anticipated)

30

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

      • Vandoeuvre les nancy, France, 54500
        • Recruiting
        • University Hospital of Nancy
        • Contact:
          • Christian De Chillou, MD, PhD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients admitted for a procedure in the interventional electrophysiology department of the CHRU de Nancy for AF ablation between March 2019 and March 2021, for whom electroanatomical and scannographic data are available

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Persistant Atrial fibrillation ablation
  • Voltage map in sinus rhythm and in atrial fibrillation
  • Cardiac CT scan performed before ablation

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Incomplete data, poor quality ECG recordings.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
correlation between voltage map in sinus rhythm and the new voltage map in atrial fibrillation using total energy calculation
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year
through study completion, an average of 1 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
correlation between atrial epicardial fat deposits and atrial conduction velocities slowing
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year
through study completion, an average of 1 year

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Charles GUENANCIA, MD, PhD, Chru Nancy

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

April 1, 2021

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

April 1, 2022

Study Completion (Anticipated)

April 1, 2022

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 2, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 2, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

April 6, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 6, 2021

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 2, 2021

Last Verified

April 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2020PI262

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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