Main findings
The present study evaluated the clinical characteristics and electrical
features of focal activations associated with AF drivers using the
CARTOFINDER, a novel mapping system for patients with persistent AF. We
identified the following important features of the focal activation.
Most CL of the focal activations were > 120 ms, which is
greater than the value associated with CFAE,15 and
demonstrated regularity with shorter CLSD. The intensity of focal
activation was significantly correlated with the regularity of the CL
with a shorter CLSD. Focal activations were typically observed in normal
voltage regions and proximal to the CFAE area, but not within the CFAE
area. The elimination of DFAs resulted in higher achievement of the
composite endpoint during ablation. To the best of our knowledge, this
is the first study to use DCL and DFAs to identify the dominant area of
AF by using the novel mapping system CARTOFINDER.