Autonomic function and specific right atrial functions - Is there a relationship? Correlations from the three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiographic MAGYAR-Healthy Study

Attila Nemes; Árpád Kormányos; Andrea Orosz; Nóra Ambrus; Tamás T Várkonyi; Csaba Lengyel

doi:10.1002/jcu.23672

Autonomic function and specific right atrial functions - Is there a relationship? Correlations from the three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiographic MAGYAR-Healthy Study

J Clin Ultrasound. 2024 Apr 5. doi: 10.1002/jcu.23672. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Attila Nemes¹, Árpád Kormányos¹, Andrea Orosz², Nóra Ambrus¹, Tamás T Várkonyi¹, Csaba Lengyel¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
² Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.

PMID: 38581157
DOI: 10.1002/jcu.23672

Abstract

Introduction: Similarly to the ventricles, the atria are under sympathetic/parasympathetic neural regulation. Accordingly, correlations were investigated between Ewing's standard cardiovascular reflex tests (SCRTs) and three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (3DSTE)-derived right atrial (RA) volumes and strains in healthy subjects.

Materials and methods: The study comprised 45 healthy adults, but 5 subjects were excluded due to inferior image quality for 3DSTE-derived RA assessments. The remaining 40 individuals being in sinus rhythm had a mean age of 35.1 ± 3.5 years (20 men). Two-dimensional, Doppler, 3DSTE and SCRTs were performed in all cases.

Results: RA maximum volume and total and passive RA stroke volumes correlated with the Valsalva ratio. Active RA stroke volume and emptying fraction showed correlations with 30/15 ratio. Peak global and mean segmental RA circumferential (CS) and longitudinal strains (LS) showed correlation with the Valsalva ratio. At atrial contraction, global RA-LS and mean segmental RA-CS showed correlations with the Valsalva ratio. Moreover, mean segmental RA-CS correlated with 30/15 ratio and mean segmental RA radial strain showed correlations with systolic blood pressure in response to standing. Autonomic neuropathy score correlated with peak global RA-LS.

Conclusions: Autonomic function parameters have significant associations with specific RA functions in healthy adults, making the latter possible indicators of autonomic dysregulation.

Keywords: autonomic; correlation; echocardiography; right atrial; speckle‐tracking; three‐dimensional.