Application of anatomically constrained minimum norm solution in coronary artery disease (myocardial current imaging)

The inverse solution of the single equivalent current dipole model obviously fails in the explanation of more complex source structures like a distributed myocardial activation wavefront. For this reason we applied depth normalized minimum norm estimation with anatomical constraints in patients with myocardial infarction and known regions of large myocardial damage. Current density was calculated for several hundred myocardial support points using lead field normalized minimum norm least square estimates and overlayed with 3D-MR-images as color coded surfaces. In 55% of 40 patients/normals investigated, MCI had complete correspondence with the other cardiological findings, in 27% we found partly correspondence and 18% MCI failed to provide correct diagnosis. Myocardial current imaging (MCI) is a new and promising method for assessing of myocardial viability.