Time averaged spatial distribution of epicardial dominant frequencies during ventricular fibrillation

Recent evidence suggests that the dominant frequencies during ventricular fibrillation (VF) may be used as indicators of dispersion in repolarization and in activation patterns. In the present study, we quantified dominant frequencies from multiple epicardial electrodes to investigate if there are differences in the averaged frequencies within the electrograms recorded from the left and the right ventricles. Further, we quantified whether the difference in average frequency between the two ventricles changed during 30 seconds of VF. Results from eighteen trials in two pigs showed that during the entire duration of VF the average dominant frequencies of all electrodes over the left ventricle were higher than those over the right ventricle (p < 0.005). The dominant frequencies are reciprocal of cycle periods or activation intervals during VF. Our results show that on average, activations in the left ventricle occurred at faster rate than those in the right ventricle. Activation intervals at any site are determined by the refractory period at that site and the arrival time of next activation. Although differences in cellular properties may have contributed to the observed differences in activation intervals between the ventricles, it is possible that activation arrival times may be different as well. It is possible that the increased tissue mass of the left ventricle may increase the probability that any site will get excited at a faster rate after it is recovered from previous activation.