Complex Fractionated Atrial Electrograms, Dispersion, and Voltage in Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: Implications for Electrogram-Guided Ablation.

Background: Various methods have been used to identify substrate of persistent atrial fibrillation (PeAF) including complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAEs), electrogram dispersion, and low-voltage areas (LVAs). This study aims to investigate their relationship and changes following ablation.

Methods and results: Consecutive patients with PeAF undergoing catheter ablation were prospectively recruited. High-density left atrial mapping was employed. Repeat mapping was performed after pulmonary vein and posterior wall isolation (PVI + PWI) if atrial fibrillation persisted. Dispersion tags were automatically annotated using a commercially available artificial intelligence system. A total of 32 patients (mean age 64.8 ± 9.7 years, 26 male) were included. In CFAE regions, 93.1 ± 7.5% of the surface had voltage > 0.5 mV, compared to only 17.5 ± 24.5% in the non-CFAE regions. Nearly all dispersion tags (99.3 ± 1.6%) were located within CFAE regions. Postablation mapping (N = 24) revealed a reduction in both CFAE and dispersion tags, prolongation of atrial cycle length, and de-escalation of CFAE sub-types, even in areas remote from ablation targets. During a median follow-up period of 9.0 ± 1.9 months, among the nine patients with CFAE de-escalations across all five regions, only one (11.1%) experienced recurrence. In contrast, eight out of the remaining 15 patients (53.3%) experienced recurrence (p = 0.039).

Conclusion: Dispersion is associated with CFAEs, predominantly reflecting areas of normal voltage. Regional reductions in CFAE and dispersion burden may occur outside of the directly targeted ablation areas. Post-procedural de-escalation of electrograms across the left atrium might suggest a potential indicator for PVI + PWI responders; however, further studies are warranted.