Influence of highest dominant frequency area on fibrillation dynamics and frequency spectrum on electrograms

Abstract Introduction Highest Dominant Frequency (HDF) has been extensively described as one of the descriptors for Atrial Fibrillation (AF) and some studies also describe the total area activating at this frequency. However, the influence of this area on the registered power spectrum of the electrogram is usually not explained. Objective To describe the role of the highest Dominant Frequency Area (DFA) on the electrogram signal. Methods HL1 cell line monolayers were used as AF in vitro model and cultured on p35 plates (N=15) until confluence was reached. Optical mapping was performed to evaluate the electrophysiological activity of the samples employing Ca2+ transient quantification and activation frequency (Hz). Pseudo electrograms were calculated from the recorded signals and their frequency spectrum was evaluated. Results Two different groups were identified during the study: a group in which the DFA was higher than 0.2% of the total area (hDFA) and a group in which it was lower (lDFA). For hDFA cultures, the ratio between the DF of the catheter and the culture was significantly higher in the hDFA group (0.90±0.18; 0.47±0.13; p-value