TY - JOUR
T1 - Myofiber architecture of the human atria as revealed by submillimeter diffusion tensor imaging
AU - Pashakhanloo, Farhad
AU - Herzka, Daniel A.
AU - Ashikaga, Hiroshi
AU - Mori, Susumu
AU - Gai, Neville
AU - Bluemke, David A.
AU - Trayanova, Natalia A.
AU - McVeigh, Elliot R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.
PY - 2016/4/1
Y1 - 2016/4/1
N2 - Background - Accurate knowledge of the human atrial fibrous structure is paramount in understanding the mechanisms of atrial electric function in health and disease. Thus far, such knowledge has been acquired from destructive sectioning, and there is a paucity of data about atrial fiber architecture variability in the human population. Methods and Results - In this study, we have developed a customized 3-dimensional diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging sequence on a clinical scanner that makes it possible to image an entire intact human heart specimen ex vivo at submillimeter resolution. The data from 8 human atrial specimens obtained with this technique present complete maps of the fibrous organization of the human atria. The findings demonstrate that the main features of atrial anatomy are mostly preserved across subjects although the exact location and orientation of atrial bundles vary. Using the full tractography data, we were able to cluster, visualize, and characterize the distinct major bundles in the human atria. Furthermore, quantitative characterization of the fiber angles across the atrial wall revealed that the transmural fiber angle distribution is heterogeneous throughout different regions of the atria. Conclusions - The application of submillimeter diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging provides an unprecedented level of information on both human atrial structure, as well as its intersubject variability. The high resolution and fidelity of this data could enhance our understanding of structural contributions to atrial rhythm and pump disorders and lead to improvements in their targeted treatment.
AB - Background - Accurate knowledge of the human atrial fibrous structure is paramount in understanding the mechanisms of atrial electric function in health and disease. Thus far, such knowledge has been acquired from destructive sectioning, and there is a paucity of data about atrial fiber architecture variability in the human population. Methods and Results - In this study, we have developed a customized 3-dimensional diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging sequence on a clinical scanner that makes it possible to image an entire intact human heart specimen ex vivo at submillimeter resolution. The data from 8 human atrial specimens obtained with this technique present complete maps of the fibrous organization of the human atria. The findings demonstrate that the main features of atrial anatomy are mostly preserved across subjects although the exact location and orientation of atrial bundles vary. Using the full tractography data, we were able to cluster, visualize, and characterize the distinct major bundles in the human atria. Furthermore, quantitative characterization of the fiber angles across the atrial wall revealed that the transmural fiber angle distribution is heterogeneous throughout different regions of the atria. Conclusions - The application of submillimeter diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging provides an unprecedented level of information on both human atrial structure, as well as its intersubject variability. The high resolution and fidelity of this data could enhance our understanding of structural contributions to atrial rhythm and pump disorders and lead to improvements in their targeted treatment.
KW - arrhythmias, cardiac
KW - atrial function
KW - atrial myoarchitecture
KW - diffusion magnetic resonance imaging
KW - diffusion tensor imaging
KW - fiber orientation
KW - heart atria
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84964478089&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84964478089&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1161/CIRCEP.116.004133
DO - 10.1161/CIRCEP.116.004133
M3 - Article
C2 - 27071829
AN - SCOPUS:84964478089
VL - 9
JO - Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology
JF - Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology
SN - 1941-3149
IS - 4
M1 - e004133
ER -