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| 2. |
- Bjällmark, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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A system to quantify and visualize ventricular rotation pattern of the heart
- 2009
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Patent (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Different modalities have been used to describe the rotational motion of the ventricles of the heart and studies have indicated LV twist to be an additional integral component in LV function. So far, only amplitudes and timings of rotation have been reported, whereas no method is available to fully describe the rotation pattern of the ventricles. The object of the present application is to achieve a system that presents a novel way to quantify and visualize the ventricular rotation pattern of the heart. We present a novel method that assesses and describes the rotation pattern by calculating the rotation axis of the ventricle. Non- invasive image acquisition is required to collect rotation values from different positions of the myocardium. Thereafter, a kinematic model of a ventricle is constructed to determine the rotation planes at different levels of the heart. The motion of the rotation planes are visualized by plotting the normal vectors of the planes over time, i.e. the rotation axis of the planes. This new method is different to all other methods used today for assessing cardiac function, as it does not describe the amplitude of a motion but the relationship in motion between different parts within a ventricle. Preliminary results indicate that the rotation axis is more sensitive to changes in the rotation pattern than conventional measurements of ventricular rotation. This new method could be used for early detection of cardiac diseases and for selection of patients for and optimization of cardiac resynchronization therapy.
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| 3. |
- Bjällmark, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Differences in myocardial velocities during supine and upright exercise stress echocardiography in healthy adults
- 2009
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Ingår i: Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging. - 1475-0961 .- 1475-097X. ; 29:3, s. 216-223
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Tissue Velocity Imaging (TVI) is a method for quantitative analysis of longitudinal myocardial velocities, which can be used during exercise and pharmacological stress echocardiography. It is of interest to evaluate cardiac response to different types of stress tests and the differences between upright and supine bicycle exercise tests have not been fully investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare cardiac response during supine and upright exercise stress tests. Twenty young healthy individuals underwent supine and upright stress test. The initial workload was set to 30 W and was increased every minute by a further 30 W until physical exhaustion. Tissue Doppler data from the left ventricle were acquired at the end of every workload level using a GE Vivid7 Dimension system (> 200 frames s(-1)). In the off-line processing, isovolumic contraction velocity (IVCV), peak systolic velocity (PSV), isovolumic relaxation velocity (IVRV), peak early diastolic velocity (E') and peak late diastolic velocity (A') were identified at every workload level. No significant difference between the tests was found in PSV. On the contrary, E' was shown to be significantly higher (P < 0.001) during supine exercise than during upright exercise and IVRV was significantly lower (P < 0.001) during supine exercise compared to upright exercise. Upright and supine exercise stress echocardiography give a comparable increase in measured systolic velocities and significant differences in early diastolic velocities.
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| 4. |
- Bjällmark, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of hemodialysis on the cardiovascular system: Quantitative analysis using wave intensity wall analysis and tissue velocity imaging
- 2010
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Ingår i: Heart and Vessels. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0910-8327 .- 1615-2573.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in cardiovascular function induced by a single session of hemodialysis (HD) by the analysis of cardiovascular dynamics using wave intensity wall analysis (WIWA) and of systolic and diastolic myocardial function using tissue velocity imaging (TVI). Grey-scale cine loops of the left common carotid artery, conventional echocardiography and TVI images of the left ventricle were acquired before and after HD in 45 patients (17 women, mean age 54) with ESRD. The WIWA indexes, W1 preload-adjusted W1, W2 and preload-adjusted W2, and the TVI variables, isovolumic contraction velocity (IVCV), isovolumic contraction time (IVCT), peak systolic velocity (PSV), displacement, isovolumic relaxation velocity (IVRV), isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT), peak early diastolic velocity (E’) and peak late diastolic velocity (A’), were compared before and after HD. The WIWA measurements showed significant increases in W1 (p < 0.05) and preload-adjusted W1 (p < 0.01) after HD. W2 was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) after HD, whereas the change in preload-adjusted W2 was not significant. Systolic velocities, IVCV (p < 0.001) and PSV (p < 0.01), were increased after HD, whereas the AV-plane displacement were decreased (p < 0.01). For the measured diastolic variables, E’ was significantly decreased (p < 0.01) and IVRT was significantly prolonged (p < 0.05), after HD. A few correlations were found between WIWA and TVI variables. The WIWA and TVI measurements indicate that a single session of HD improves systolic function. The load dependency of the diastolic variables seems to be more pronounced than for the systolic variables. Preload-adjusted wave intensity indexes may contribute in the assessment of true LV contractility and relaxation.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Bjällmark, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Velocity tracking - a novel method for quantitative analysis of longitudinal myocardial function
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography. - : Elsevier. - 0894-7317 .- 1097-6795. ; 20:7, s. 847-856
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Doppler tissue imaging is a method for quantitative analysis of longitudinal myocardial velocity. Commercially available ultrasound systems can only present velocity information using a color Dopplerbased overlapping continuous color scale. The analysis is time-consuming and does not allow for simultaneous analysis in different projections. We have developed a new method, velocity tracking, using a stepwise color coding of the regional longitudinal myocardial velocity. The velocity data from 3 apical projections are presented as static and dynamic bull's-eye plots to give a 3-dimensional understanding of the function of the left ventricle. The static bull's-eye plot can display peak systolic velocity, late diastofic tissue velocity, or the sum of peak systolic velocity and early diastolic tissue velocity. Conversely, the dynamic bull's-eye plot displays how the myocardial velocities change over one heart cycle. Velocity tracking allows for a fast, simple, and hituitive visual analysis of the regional longitudinal contraction pattern of the left ventricle with a great potential to identify characteristic pathologic patterns.
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| 7. |
- Brodin, Lars-Åke, et al.
(författare)
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Global and local detection of blood vessel elasticity
- 2006
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Patent (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- The present invention is a non-invasive analysis system for detection of global and local blood vessel elasticity. The analysis system comprises two subsystems where subsystem 1 is data collecting unit and subsystem 2 is an analysis unit. The data collecting unit comprises one or many non-invasive image generating systems, or the data collecting system makes the registration possible of movement parameters that quantifies the dynamics of the blood vessel wall in longitudinal and radial directions. Subsystem 2 performs Wave Intensity Analysis which is an analysis method using co-related parts of the circulation system by measuring the intensity change (dl) of the blood vessel during a heart cycle. The intensity change is calculated as the product of the pressure derivate and the flow velocity derivate. In subsystem 2 the changes of pressure and flow are approximated by the deformation velocity or velocity of the radial and longitudinal direction, respectively. By calculating time constants and amplitudes of the intensity change graph a measure is obtained of the local and global elasticity of the blood vessel and atherosclerotic constrictions of arterial vessels may then be identified at an early stage.
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| 8. |
- Falkmer, Marita, et al.
(författare)
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Recognition of facially expressed emotions and visual search strategies in adults with Asperger syndrome
- 2011
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Ingår i: RES AUTISM SPECTR DISORD. - : Elsevier BV. - 1750-9467 .- 1878-0237. ; 5:1, s. 210-217
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Can the disadvantages persons with Asperger syndrome frequently experience with reading facially expressed emotions be attributed to a different visual perception, affecting their scanning patterns? Visual search strategies, particularly regarding the importance of information from the eye area, and the ability to recognise facially expressed emotions were compared between 24 adults with Asperger syndrome and their matched controls. While wearing a head mounted eye tracker, the participants viewed 12 pairs of photos of faces. The first photo in each pair was cut up into puzzle pieces. Six of the 12 puzzle pieced photos had the eyes bisected. The second photo showed a happy, an angry and a surprised face of the same person as in the puzzle pieced photo. Differences in visual search strategies between the groups were established. Adults with Asperger syndrome had greater difficulties recognizing these basic emotions than controls. The distortion of the eye area affected the ability to identify emotions even more negatively for participants with Asperger syndrome.
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| 9. |
- Falkmer, Marita, et al.
(författare)
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The importance of the eye area in face identification abilities and visual search strategies in persons with Asperger syndrome
- 2010
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Ingår i: Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. - : Elsevier BV. - 1750-9467 .- 1878-0237. ; 4:4, s. 724-730
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Partly claimed to explain social difficulties observed in people with Asperger syndrome, face identification and visual search strategies become important. Previous research findings are, however, disparate. In order to explore face identification abilities and visual search strategies, with special focus on the importance of the eye area, 24 adults with Asperger syndrome and matched controls viewed puzzle pieced photos of faces, in order to identify them as one of three intact photos of persons. Every second puzzle pieced photo had the eyes distorted. Fixation patterns were measured by an eye tracker. Adults with Asperger syndrome had greater difficulties in identifying faces than controls. However, the entire face identification superiority in controls was found in the condition when the eyes were distorted supporting that adults with Aspergers syndrome do use the eye region to a great extent in face identification. The visual search strategies in controls were more effective and relied on the use of the 'face information triangle', i.e. the two eyes and the mouth, while adults with Asperger syndrome had more fixations on other parts of the face, both when obtaining information and during the identification part, suggesting a less effective use of the 'face information triangle'.
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| 10. |
- Falkmer, Marita, et al.
(författare)
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The influences of static and interactive dynamic facial stimuli on visual strategies in persons with Asperger syndrome
- 2011
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Ingår i: Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. - : Elsevier BV. - 1750-9467 .- 1878-0237. ; 5:2, s. 935-940
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Several studies, using eye tracking methodology, suggest that different visual strategies in persons with autism spectrum conditions, compared with controls, are applied when viewing facial stimuli. Most eye tracking studies are, however, made in laboratory settings with either static (photos) or non-interactive dynamic stimuli, such as video clips. Whether or not these results are transferable to a "real world" dialogue situation remains unclear. In order to examine the consistency of visual strategies across conditions, a comparison of two static conditions and an interactive dynamic "real world" condition, in 15 adults with Asperger syndrome and 15 matched controls, was made using an eye tracker. The static stimuli consisted of colour photos of faces, while a dialogue between the participants and the test leader created the interactive dynamic condition. A within-group comparison showed that people with AS, and their matched controls, displayed a high degree of stability in visual strategies when viewing faces, regardless of the facial stimuli being static or real, as in the interactive dynamic condition. The consistency in visual strategies within the participants suggests that results from studies with static facial stimuli provide important information on individual visual strategies that may be generalized to "real world" situations.
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