Physiol. Res. 53: 379-386, 2004


QT Dispersion and Electrical Heart Field Morphology in Patients Treated with Dosulepin

O. KITTNAR, I. PACLT1, M. MLČEK, J. SLAVÍČEK, A. DOHNALOVÁ, Š. HAVRÁNEK,
E. BRIZMAN, E. KITZLEROVÁ1, K. PIŠVEJCOVÁ1

Institute of Physiology, 1Department of Psychiatry‚ First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague and General Teaching Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic

Received February 11 2003
Accepted October 24, 2003



Summary
The aim of the study was to detect the changes of QT dispersion (QTd) due to cardiotoxicity of tricyclic antidepressant dosulepin. Electrocardiographic and vectorcardiographic recordings were obtained using Cardiag 112.2 diagnostic system from 28 psychiatric outpatients treated with prophylactic doses of dosulepin and compared to those obtained from 37 healthy volunteers. From these recordings following parameters were evaluated: QTd, spatial QRS-STT angle and amplitude of T-wave. The acquired data were correlated with the dosulepin plasma levels using Spearman´s rank order correlation test. The average QTd (±S.D.) in the dosulepin group was significantly higher (70±21 ms) than that in the control group (34±12 ms) (P<0.001). Moreover, the correlation between QTd and the dosulepin plasma levels was highly significant (r = 0.7871, P<0.001). Similar results were obtained when QTc dispersion was used. On the contrary, the QRS-STT space angle did not correlate with the dosulepin plasma levels. Furthermore, the T-wave amplitude was not significantly correlated to the QT-interval. Thus we can conclude that the QT dispersion could be used as a simple marker of the dosulepin effect on the myocardium.


Key words
QT dispersion • Electrocardigraphy • Body surface potential mapping • Dosulepin • Tricyclic antidepressants


© 2004 by the Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences