Wave intensity analysis in the ventricles, carotid and coronary arteries – What has been learnt during the last 25 years?: Part 2

Abstract

Wave intensity analysis (WIA) was introduced 25 years ago for the study of arterial wave travel and has since been established<br />as a powerful tool for the investigation of cardio-vascular interaction. Despite the complex mathematical derivation of the<br />method, the implementation is simple. As a time-domain technique, WIA enables the direct association between waves<br />and events during the cardiac cycle. Furthermore, it enables the separation of the pressure (or diameter), velocity and wave<br />intensity waveforms into their forward and backward components, and provides a means for the determination of the timing<br />and magnitude of waves of different origins. Hemodynamic questions at several locations along the vascular tree have been<br />investigated with WIA. Part 2 of this review will focus on the physiological and clinical findings to which WIA has contributed,<br />through clinical and in vivo studies in the ventricles and in the coronary and carotid arteries.