Projects
Basic investigations on the role of connexin hemichannels as an arrhythmogenic substrate in ventricular arrhythmia Ghent University
Ventricular arrhythmia is a frequent, high-mortality complication following myocardial infarction.
Current treatment options are limited and existing drugs are often ineffective, have considerable
side effects and may even be pro-arrhythmogenic, especially when coronary and/or structural heart
disease is present. Connexins form gap junctions that interconnect cardiomyocytes, and play a
crucial role ...
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 ...
A novel ex vivo approach to study local Ca2+-induced triggered activities in ventricular arrhythmias using living adult cardiac slices KU Leuven
Heart rhythm disturbances after a heart attack are a major cause of death. Rhythm problems occur when the electrical pulses that coordinate the heartbeats do not work properly, causing the heart to beat too slow, too fast or irregular. A large fraction of these rhythm disorders are thought to be initiated and perpetuated through a loss of a normal calcium balance in heart muscle cells, causing abnormal electrical pulses and heart rhythm ...
Next generation phenotyping and genotyping in inherited primary cardiac arrhythmia syndromes and cardiomyopathies KU Leuven
The relation between the genotype and phenotype of primary arrhythmia syndromes (PAS) and cardiomyopathies (CMP) is complex and ever expanding. In the first part of this thesis project, we evaluated the value of both novel and existing electrocardiographic parameters in the diagnosis and prognosis of these patients. We proposed a novel method for evaluation of the QT interval based on the patient’s own QT rate dependence profile obtained from ...
Personalized characterization of the substrate of ventricular tachycardia based on simultaneous endo- and epicardial mapping and computer modelling Ghent University
A heart beat is initiated by an electrical wave that propagates through the heart and initiates cardiac contraction Abnormal wave propagation can result in cardiac arrhythmias Arrhythmias which occur in lower chambers of the heart, ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation, can lead to cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death Currently, there are about 350000 sudden cardiac deaths in Europe each year In many cases, these dangerous arrhythmias ...
Right ventricular and atrial function in nature’s ultimate athlete: the horse Ghent University
Regular exercise improves health and leads to cardiac remodeling known as the athlete’s heart.
However, emerging data suggest that exercise-related pressure and volume overload may result in
detrimental remodeling of the right ventricle (RV) or atria. This has been linked to arrhythmias and
sudden death in athletes.
In this project, the horse will be used as an animal model for exercise-induced cardiac remodeling as ...
Personalized characterization of the substrate of ventricular tachycardia based on simultaneous endo- and epicardial mapping and computer modelling KU Leuven
A heart beat is initiated by an electrical wave that propagates through the heart and initiates cardiac contraction. Abnormal wave propagation can result in cardiac arrhythmias. Arrhythmias which occur in lower chambers of the heart, ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation, can lead to cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death. Currently, there are about 350.000 sudden cardiac deaths in Europe each year. In many cases, these dangerous ...
Probing local CaMKII activation in ventricular myocytes and the role of CaMKII in arrhythmogenesis. KU Leuven
Assessment of Ventricular Repolarization to Predict and Prevent Sudden Cardiac Death. KU Leuven
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) by cardiac rhythm disturbances is an important cause of death in our society. Prolongation of ventricular repolarization of cardiac cells as reflected by prolongation of the QT interval on the electrocardiogram is an important marker of possible life threatening ventricular arrhythmia. A wide variety of drugs used in all medical disciplines are linked to a risk of QT prolongation. The overall strategic objective of ...