Identification of Atrial Arrhythmia Foci Using ECG Signal and the Effect of Autonomic Nervous System

Any disturbance in the rhythm of the heartbeat is called cardiac arrhythmia. One of the most common methods of treating cardiac arrhythmias is radiofrequency ablation. Determining the position of the heart to be ablated is performed by a specialist physician during electrophysiological studies of the heart (EPS) and under X-ray radiation. ECG signal is a non-invasive, safe, and fast tool for understanding the electrical activity of the heart. On the other hand, the cardiac nervous system also controls the electrical activity of the heart. The present study aimed to identify focal atrial arrhythmia using ECG signal properties and to evaluate the effect of the autonomic nervous system in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.

The standard 12-lead ECG signal was recorded in patients with atrial arrhythmia. The pulses of each signal are isolated by using the Pan-Tompkins algorithm and the properties of each pulse are extracted by the independent component analysis. Based on the extracted features and dictionary of the sparse decomposition algorithm, the locations of the arrhythmia foci inside the left atrium, right atrium, and septum were estimated. The function of the autonomic nervous system was also examined using the frequency characteristics of the heart rate variability signal.

The classification of the characteristics of each ECG signal from 52 patients determines the location of the arrhythmia foci within the right and left atrium and septum. Findings show that ECG signal analysis can estimate the location of ablation in the left or right atrium with more than 93% accuracy. Examination of sympathetic and parasympathetic balance in the autonomic nervous system using frequency analysis of HRV signal shows that this system plays an important role in exacerbating or improving cardiac arrhythmias.

ECG signal analysis of patients with atrial tachycardia is a suitable and accurate tool to identify the location of the arrhythmia foci before EPS and ablation. Maintaining the balance of the cardiovascular system is effective in treating arrhythmias and further clinical studies in this field will help increase the effectiveness of cardiac arrhythmia treatment.