Left Septal Fascicular Block: Myth Or Reality?

Anatomic studies have shown that the left bundle branch divides into three fascicles in most humans. Changes in the 12 lead ECG (electrocardiogram) due to conduction abnormalities of the left anterior fascicle and left posterior fascicle are now part of the standard repertoire of electrocardiographic interpretation. There are no standard criteria for detecting conduction defects involving the third left fascicle, the septal or median fascicle, and the very existence of such defects is still a matter of controversy. The purposes of this article are to review the available evidence on this subject, suggest electrocardiographic criteria for its recognition, and present examples which illustrate that left septal fascicular block does indeed exist as a specific entity. Left septal fascicular block is a polymorphic conduction defect which may explain some previously inadequately understood electrocardiographic abnormalities

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes, supplement 190, February 1979

This bibliography lists 235 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in January 1979

Branching out:CRT beyond current concepts

Patients suffering from heart failure and delay in electrical activation of the heart can be treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). This treatment restores the synchronous contraction of the two large cardiac chambers (ventricles) using a pacemaker. In this PhD thesis some relatively unexplored facets of CRT are investigated. One of these facets concerns the effects of CRT on electrical recovery of the cardiac cells (repolarization). A good and more or less simultaneous repolarization is important in the prevention of arrhythmias. Measurements in patients showed that important changes in the part of the electrocardiogram that represents repolarization already occurred within two weeks of starting CRT. Using a computer model, we demonstrated that these changes were indicative of more simultaneous repolarization. Moreover, we found that a bigger change in repolarization was linked to a larger improvement in cardiac function. These results can contribute to (research into) better treatment of patients with heart failure

Testing the Efficacy of a Multi-Component DNA-Prime/DNA-Boost Vaccine against Trypanosoma cruzi Infection in Dogs

Immunization of dogs with DNA-prime/DNA-boost vaccine (TcVac1) enhanced the Trypanosoma cruzi-specific type 1 antibody and CD8+ T cell responses that resulted in an early control of acute parasitemia and a moderate decline in pathological symptoms during chronic phase. Further improvement of vaccine-induced immunity would be required to achieve clinical and epidemiological benefits and prevent transmission of parasites from vaccinated/infected dogs to triatomines

Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A continuing bibliography, supplement 216

One hundred twenty reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in January 1981 are listed. Topics include: sanitary problems; pharmacology; toxicology; safety and survival; life support systems; exobiology; and personnel factors

Electrical and Mechanical Ventricular Activation During Left Bundle Branch Block and Resynchronization

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) aims to treat selected heart failure patients suffering from conduction abnormalities with left bundle branch block (LBBB) as the culprit disease. LBBB remained largely underinvestigated until it became apparent that the amount of response to CRT was heterogeneous and that the therapy and underlying pathology were thus incompletely understood. In this review, current knowledge concerning activation in LBBB and during biventricular pacing will be explored and applied to current CRT practice, highlighting novel ways to better measure and treat the electrical substrate

Mathematical Modeling and Simulation of Ventricular Activation Sequences: Implications for Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy

Next to clinical and experimental research, mathematical modeling plays a crucial role in medicine. Biomedical research takes place on many different levels, from molecules to the whole organism. Due to the complexity of biological systems, the interactions between components are often difficult or impossible to understand without the help of mathematical models. Mathematical models of cardiac electrophysiology have made a tremendous progress since the first numerical ECG simulations in the 1960s. This paper briefly reviews the development of this field and discusses some example cases where models have helped us forward, emphasizing applications that are relevant for the study of heart failure and cardiac resynchronization therapy

A cumulative index to the 1976 issues of a continuing bibliography on Aerospace Medicine and Biology

This publication is a cumulative index to the abstracts contained in Supplements 151 through 162 of Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A continuing bibliography. It includes three indexes - subject, personal author, and corporate source