Projects
High-resolution three-dimensional electroanatomical cardiac mapping: a new era in diagnosis and treatment of canine arrhythmias with minimal radiation exposure Ghent University
Structural heart disease affects 10% of all dogs and commonly causes heart rhythm disturbances. These arrhythmias can also occur without underlying heart disease as primary electrical disorder. In dogs referred for cardiological investigation prevalence of arrhythmias is almost 40%, adding up to potentially 52600 dogs in Belgium at risk to suffer from sudden cardiac death or the consequences of heart failure. In humans, diagnosis and ...
New methods for 3D visualization and integration of detailed functional and anatomical information in the percutaneous treatment of ventricular arrhythmias. KU Leuven
Cardiac electrophysiology is the study of the electrical system of the heart with as main interest the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, ie. heart rhythms that are too slow (bradyarrhythmias) or too fast (tachy-arrhythmias). Since the 1980’s, we have the possibility to cure patients from various forms of cardiac arrhythmias with radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) procedures. During these procedures, the focus or circuit ...
Transcatheter radiofrequency ablation as a new treatment for equine atrial arrhythmias Ghent University
Cardiac arrhythmias are common in horses and may have dramatic consequences such as collapse or sudden death. Sudden death occurs 10 times more frequently in horses compared to human athletes. Options for arrhythmia treatment are currently limited to drugs or electrical shocks with one major problem: a high recurrence rate. Transcatheter radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive procedure in which local heating through a thin tube in ...
Development of new compounds to define the potential of TRPM4 inhibition for prevention and suppression of Ca2+ dependent cardiac arrhythmias. KU Leuven
Ca2+ dependent arrhythmias are a critical feature of conditions such as CPVT, ischemia and atrial fibrillation. TRPM4 is a Ca activated cation channel and an interesting drug target for the prevention and suppression of this type of arrhythmias. To date, the only in vivo applicable blockers of TRPM4 are meclofenamate and glibenclamide, which have obviously other prominent targets and have a relatively low efficacy to block TRPM4. Therefore, ...
Integration of high-detail-three-dimensional anatomical evaluation of the atrium with functional and metabolic factors to improve safety and effectiveness of catheter ablation of supraventricular arrhythmias KU Leuven
Since the first successful pacemaker implantation in 1958, pacing remains the only reliable treatment for severe bradycardia. So far, pacing technology consists of a hermetically sealed can enclosing a battery and electronic circuits that is connected to the heart by transvenous leads to deliver the pacing therapy. Despite continuous technological improvements, cardiac pacing remains associated with a nontrivial rate of complications related ...
Mechanisms of arrhythmias in the fibrotic heart: the role of heterogeneous distribution of gap junction protein Cx43, sodium channels and tissue architecture Ghent University
Aim of this project is development of a detailed mathematical model of human fibrotic cardiac tissue and its application to study of the role of gap junctions, sodium channels heterogeneities and tissue architecture on the formation of abnormal conduction in the heart. Identification of the mechanisms underlying arrhythmias in fibrotic cardiac tissue.
Equine arrhythmias: innovations that improve diagnosis, horse welfare and rider’s safety Ghent University
Sudden death during exercise occurs at a 10 times higher ratio in horses compared to human
athletes and is in 68% of the cases caused by fatal cardiac arrhythmias. Sudden death does not
only affect riders’ safety, but also the public opinion on the horse industry in general. Horses are
known to show benign arrhythmias, but the differentiation between benign and dangerous
arrhythmias is often difficult, though very ...