Progressive increases in complexity of T-wave oscillations herald ischemia-induced ventricular fibrillation.

T-wave alternans (TWA), an ABAB oscillation, has been postulated as the initial pattern in a stepwise progression to higher-order oscillations, culminating in sudden arrhythmic death. The present study is the first to provide experimental evidence to support this intriguing concept. Epicardial and endocardial ECGs from 12 dogs were monitored during 8-minute left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion with right atrial pacing at 150 bpm. TWA magnitude was measured by modified moving average beat analysis, and the complexity of T-wave oscillations was assessed by complex demodulation. In 6 animals with subsequent ventricular fibrillation (VF), TWA achieved a threshold of 5.00+/-1.30 mV in epicardial ischemic-zone electrograms, which then exhibited a stepwise increase in T-wave oscillation complexity to quadrupling (ABCDABCD, 3 cases) or tripling (ABCABC, 2 cases) and to more complex forms (5 cases) preceding VF (6 cases). In dogs without VF, peak TWA levels did not increase from baseline, measuring a maximum of 0.35+/-0.10 mV (P=NS), or only 7% the value of those with VF, and T-wave multupling was not observed (0 of 6 versus 5 of 6, P<0.005). Discordant TWA episodes, with T waves alternating out of phase, were associated with increased T-wave complexity and fibrillation in 4 of 6 dogs with VF but in none of the 6 dogs without VF (P<0.025). TWA appears to be the first step in an orderly progression of T-wave complexity, episodes of discordant TWA, and VF. This demonstrated increase in T-wave complexity points to a fundamental mechanistic link underlying the ability of TWA to predict lethal arrhythmias.