Le syndrome métabolique (SM) est une entité clinique caractérisée par le regroupement d’un ensemble de facteurs de risque, dont l’accumulation contribue à un accroissement de la morbi-mortalité cardiovasculaire. Sa prévalence n’a cessé de croître au cours de ces dernières décennies au niveau de la population mondiale, en lien notamment avec des changements du style de vie incluant une plus grande sédentarité et une alimentation riche en graisses. Le SM est classiquement associé à un remodelage et à des anomalies diastoliques qui concernent le coeur gauche ; et des travaux récents ayant eu recours à l’imagerie de déformation témoignent également d’une dysfonction régionale systolique précoce. Le coeur droit est très peu documenté et pour l’ensemble de la pompe cardiaque les mécanismes explicatifs des atteintes fonctionnelles restent largement inexpliqués. Nos connaissances quant à l’impact de mesures hygiéno-diététiques sur la fonction myocardique régionale, gauche comme droite, sont également très pauvres. Ainsi, les objectifs majeurs du présent travail sont d’évaluer dans le SM l'effet d’une intervention reposant sur une diète alimentaire couplée à un programme d’activités physiques sur la fonction myocardique régionale ventriculaire droite et gauche, et d'étudier les interrelations, à l’inclusion et en réponse aux modifications du style de vie, entre les principaux facteurs du SM et la fonction myocardique régionale. La population est composée de 100 sujets SM asymptomatiques répartis aléatoirement en 3 groupes selon la modalité d‘exercice physique (dominante « résistance » ou « endurance à intensité élevée, mixte à intensité modérée), la restriction calorique (de 500 à 700 kcal/j) étant commune à tous les patients. Un groupe témoin (n=40) apparié en âge et sexe est également étudié. Le recours à l’échographique transthoracique en mode « speckle tracking imaging » permet l’évaluation des déformations longitudinales myocardiques du ventricule gauche (VG) et de la paroi libre du ventricule droit (VD). Nos résultats confirment les anomalies régionales diastoliques et systoliques VG mais démontrent pour la première fois qu’elles concernent également le coeur droit. Notre programme interventionnel réduit la prévalence du SM et de ses facteurs individuels, et améliore significativement la fonction régionale VG et VD, tant systolique que diastolique. Le tissu adipeux viscéral, et en particulier le tissu adipeux épicardique, l’inflammation systémique, impliquant à la fois les adipocytokines pro- (PAI-1, TNF-α) et anti-inflammatoires (adiponectine) et l’hyperglycémie chronique, facteurs impactés par le SM et améliorés en réponse à l’intervention, apparaissaient comme des contributeurs indépendants importants de la dysfonction régionale droite et gauche. Le rôle du tissu adipeux épicardique semble central, potentiellement via des effets autocrines et paracrines, ce tissu devrait ainsi constituer une cible thérapeutique future d'intérêt majeur dans le traitement des maladies cardiométaboliques. / The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a clinical entity which is characterized by the combination of a set of risk factors, the accumulation of which contributes to a high risk of cardiovascular disease. Its prevalence has grown steadily during the past decades, principally as a result of poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyle. The SM is classically associated with cardiac remodeling and diastolic abnormalities involving the left heart; and recent studies using cardiac imaging deformation also reflect a regional early systolic dysfunction. The right heart is poorly documented and for both right and left heart underlying mechanisms of functional impairments remain largely unknown. Our knowledge about the impact of lifestyle changes on left and right myocardial function are also very poor. Thus, the main objectives of this thesis were to evaluate in MetS patients the effect of lifestyle intervention based on food diet with exercise training on right and left ventricular regional myocardial function, and to study the relationships, at baseline and in response to changes in lifestyle, among the main factors of MetS and regional myocardial function. The population consisted of 100 asymptomatic MetS male and female randomly divided into 3 groups according to exercise modality (dominant high-intensity "resistance" or " endurance”, or mixed of moderate intensity), caloric restriction (500 to 700 kcal / d) being common to all patients. A control group (n = 40) matched by age and sex was also evaluated. The use of transthoracic ultrasound in the "speckle tracking imaging" mode allowed the assessment of longitudinal myocardial deformations of the left ventricle (LV) and the free wall of the right ventricle (RV). Our results confirmed the regional LV diastolic and systolic abnormalities previously described in the literature but demonstrated for the first time they also concern the right heart. Our interventional program reduced MetS prevalence and its individual factors, and significantly improved both systolic and diastolic LV and RV regional dysfunction. Visceral adipose tissue, especially epicardial adipose tissue, systemic inflammation, involving both pro- (PAI-1, TNF-α) and anti-inflammatory (adiponectin) adipocytokines as well as chronic hyperglycemia, all factors affected by MetS and significantly improved in response to the intervention, appeared as significant independent contributors of the right and left regional dysfunction. The role of the epicardial adipose tissue seems central, potentially via autocrine and paracrine effects, and this tissue should thus be considered as future therapeutic target of major interest in the treatment of cardiometabolic diseases

La thérapie par ultrasons focalisés de haute intensité (HIFU) est une méthode non invasive et non ionisante pour l’ablation des tumeurs solides. Cependant, le mouvement des organes intra-abdominaux, dû principalement à la respiration, empêche les ultrasons de cibler correctement la tumeur. Dans ce contexte, un système HIFU robotisé tout-en-un qui compense le mouvement en temps réel pendant le traitement par HIFU a été développé. À cet effet, un système d’asservissement ultrasonore fonctionnant à une fréquence de 20 Hz, basé sur une méthode rapide de suivi du speckle ultrasonore pour l’estimation du mouvement, a été conçu. Il utilise une séquence d’alternance imagerie/exposition HIFU, dont le rapport cyclique est de 80 %, afin d’éviter les interférences d’ondes. Le système HIFU robotisé a été testé sur un fantôme imitant les tissus soumis à des mouvements sinusoïdaux 1D et 2D. Il en résulte une réduction de mouvement de plus de 80 % en 1D pour une fréquence de 0,25 Hz et de 90 % en 2D pour une fréquence de 0,1 Hz. Toutefois, il n' a pas pu être observé un effet significatif de la compensation du mouvement sur les lésions induites par HIFU. / High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) therapy is a non-invasive and non-ionizing method for ablation of solid tumors. However, intra-abdominal organ motion, mainly due to breathing, is a major hurdle for proper targeting of the tumor. In this context, an all-in-one HIFU robotized system with motion compensation in real-time during HIFU treatment was developed. To this aim, an ultrasound visual servoing working at a frequency of 20 Hz, relying on a fast ultrasonic speckle tracking method for motion estimation, was designed. It uses an interleaved imaging/HIFU sonication sequence, with duty cycle of 80 %, in order to avoid wave interferences. The robotized HIFU system was tested on a tissue mimicking phantom undergoing a 1D and a 2D sinusoidal motion. As a result, motion reduction of more than 80 % in 1D for a frequency of 0.25 Hz and more than 90 % in 2D for a frequency of 0.1 Hz was obtained. However, it couldn't be observed a significant effect of motion compensation on the lesions induced by HIFU.

Lors de la systole, le ventricule gauche (VG) se déforme suite à la contraction des cardiomyocytes. De part l'orientation en spirale des fibres myocardiques, ces déformations incluent un mouvement de torsion, la base et l'apex du VG tournant dans des sens opposés. L'emmagasinement d'énergie élastique par ce mécanisme et surtout sa restitution très précoce en début de diastole jouent un rôle clé dans le remplissage ventriculaire gauche. Les objectifs de ce travail ont été d'étudier les adaptations mécaniques ventriculaires gauche en se focalisant sur le rôle de la torsion 1) lors d'un exercice d'intensité croissante chez le sujet sédentaire jeune, 2) suite à l'entrainement aérobie au repos et lors d'un exercice d'intensité croissante et, 3) concomitantes aux dysfonctions cardiaques observées après un exercice épuisant de longue durée. Pour cela, nous avons effectué des échocardiographies au repos et/ou lors d'épreuves d'effort d'intensité croissante en incluant l'utilisation d'un nouvel outil échocardiographique basé sur le "speckle tracking" (STE). Nos résultats soulignent le rôle clé de la torsion dans le couplage systole - diastole à l'effort. De plus, nos résultats montrent une modification des adaptations mécaniques ventriculaires gauche à l'effort en parallèle à l'amélioration de la fonction diastolique chez les sportifs entrainés en endurance aérobie. Enfin, la dysfonction ventriculaire gauche transitoire observée après un exercice épuisant de longue durée est caractérisée par une diminution et un décalage dans le temps de la torsion, limitant probablement la diminution précoce des pressions intraventriculaires gauche et donc le remplissage. L'ensemble de ces résultats mettent en évidence, d'une part, l'intérêt de l'évaluation par STE de la mécanique ventriculaire gauche au repos et à l'effort, et d'autre part le rôle clé du mécanisme de torsion - détorsion dans l'explication de fonctions diastoliques améliorées ou altérées

Background: Acute coronary syndrome is known for its effect on cardiac function and can lead to impaired segmental and even global myocardial function. Evidence exists that myocardial revascularisation whether pharmacological, interventional or surgical results in improvement of systolic and diastolic left ventricular (LV) function, particularly that of the long axis which represents the sub-endocardial function, known as the most sensitive layer to ischaemia. Objective: We sought to gain more insight into the early effect of pharmacological and interventional myocardial revascularisation on various aspects of cardiac function including endocrine, electrical, segmental, twist, right ventricular (RV) and left atrial (LA) function. In particular, we aimed to assess the response of ventricular electromechanical function to thrombolysis and its relationship with peptides levels. We also investigated the behaviour of RV function in the setting of LV inferior myocardial infarction (IMI) during the acute insult and early recovery. In addition, we aimed to assess in detail LA electrical and mechanical function in such patients. Finally, we studied the early effect of surgical revascularisation on the LV mechanics using the recent novel of speckle tracking echocardiography technology to assess rotation, twist and torsion and the strain deformation parameters as a tool of identifying global ventricular function. Methods: We used conventionally Doppler echocardiographic transthoracic techniques including M-mode, 2-Dimentional, myocardial tissue Doppler, and speckle tracking techniques. Commercially available SPSS as a software was used for statistical analysis. Results: 1-The elevated peptide levels at 7 days post-myocardial infarction correlated with the reduced mechanical activity of the adjacent non-infarcted segment thus making natriuretic peptides related to failure of compensatory hyperdynamic activity of the non-infarcted area rather than the injured myocardial segments. 2-RV segmental and global functions were impaired in acute IMI, and recovered in 87% of patients following thrombolysis. In the absence of clear evidence for RV infarction the disturbances in the remaining 13% may represent stunned myocardium with its known delayed recovery. 3-LA electromechanical function was impaired in acute inferior STEMI and improved after thrombolysis. The partial functional recovery suggests either reversible ischaemic pathology or a response to a non-compliant LV segment. The residual LA electromechanical and pump dysfunction suggest intrinsic pathology, likely to be ischaemic in origin. 4-LV function was maintained in a group of patients with multivessel coronary artery disease who underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Surgical myocardial revascularisation did not result in any early detectable change in the three functional components of the myocardium, including twist and torsion, as opposite to conventional percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Conclusion: The studied different materials in this thesis provide significant knowledge on various aspects of acute ischaemic cardiac pathology and early effect of revascularisation. The use of non-invasive imaging, particularly echocardiography with its different modalities, in studying such patients should offer immediate thorough bed-side assessment and assist in offering optimum management.

There is a large need for accurate methods detecting cardiovascular diseases, since they are one of the leading causes of mortality in the world, accounting for 29.3% of all deaths. Due to the complexity of the cardiovascular system, it is very challenging to develop methods for quantification of its function in order to diagnose, prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases. Ultrasound is a technique allowing for inexpensive, noninvasive imaging, but requires an experienced echocardiographer. Nowadays, methods like Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and Speckle tracking imaging (STI), measuring motion and deformation in the myocardium and the vessel walls, are getting more common in routine clinical practice, but without a proper visualization of the data provided by these methods, they are time-consuming and difficult to interpret. Thus, the general aim of this thesis was to develop novel ultrasound-based methods for accurate quantification and easily interpretable visualization of cardiovascular function. Five methods based on TDI and STI were developed in the present studies. The first study comprised development of a method for generation of bull’s-eye plots providing a color-coded two-dimensional visualization of myocardial longitudinal velocities. The second study proposed the state diagram of the heart as a new circular visualization tool for cardiac mechanics, including segmental color-coding of cardiac time intervals. The third study included development of a method describing the rotation pattern of the left ventricle by calculating rotation axes at different levels of the left ventricle throughout the cardiac cycle. In the fourth study, deformation data from the artery wall were tested as input to wave intensity analysis providing information of the ventricular – arterial interaction. The fifth study included an in-silico feasibility study to test the assessment of both radial and longitudinal strain in a kinematic model of the carotid artery. The studies showed promising results indicating that the methods have potential for the detection of different cardiovascular diseases and are feasible for use in the clinical setting. However, further development of the methods and both quantitative comparison of user dependency, accuracy and ease of use with other established methods evaluating cardiovascular function, as well as additional testing of the clinical potential in larger study populations, are needed. / QC 20100727

Pain and disorders of the human skeletal muscles are one of the most common reasons for medical consultations in the western countries today and there is a great need to improve both the understanding and treatment of several different muscular conditions. Techniques describing the muscle function in vivo are often limited by either their invasiveness or lack of spatial resolution. Electromyography (EMG) is the most common approach to assess the skeletal muscle function in vivo, providing information on the neurological input. However, the spatial resolution is in general limited and there are difficulties reaching deep musculature without using invasive needles. Moreover, it does not provide any information about muscle structure or mechanical aspects. Quantitative ultrasound techniques have gained interest in the area of skeletal muscles and enables non-invasive and in-vivo insight to the intramuscular activity, through the mechanical response of the activation. However, these techniques are developed and evaluated for cardiovascular applications and there are important considerations to be made when applying these methods in the musculoskeletal field.  This thesis is based on the work from four papers with the main focus to investigate and describe some of these considerations in combination with the development of processing and analyzing methods that can be used to describe the physiological characteristics of active muscle tissue. In the first paper the accuracy of the Doppler based technique Tissue Velocity Imaging (TVI) was evaluated in a phantom study for very low tissue velocities and the effect of the pulse repetition frequency was considered. The second paper presents a biomechanical model to describe the TVI strain’s dependency on the muscle fiber pennation angle. In the third and fourth papers the intramuscular activity pattern was assessed through the regional tissue deformation by motion mode (M-mode) strain imaging. The activity patterns were analyzed during force regulation and for the effects of fatigue. The work of this thesis show promising results for the application of these methods on skeletal muscles and indicate high clinical potential where quantitative ultrasound may be a valuable tool to reach a more multifaceted and comprehensive insight in the musculoskeletal function. However, the methodological considerations are highly important for the optimized application and further evaluation and development of analyzing strategies are needed. / <p>QC 20130516</p>

Laser altimetry and satellite gravity surveys indicate that the St Elias Icefields are currently losing mass and are among the largest non-polar sea level contributors in the world. However, a poor understanding of glacier dynamics in the region is a major hurdle in evaluating regional variations in ice motion and the relationship between changing surface conditions and ice flux. This study combines in-situ dGPS measurements and advanced Radarsat-2 (RS-2) processing techniques to determine daily and seasonal ice velocities for the Kaskawulsh Glacier from summer 2009 to summer 2011. Three permanent dGPS stations were installed along the centreline of the glacier in 2009, with an additional permanent station on the South Arm in 2010. The Precise Point Positioning (PPP) method is used to process the dGPS data using high accuracy orbital reconstruction. RS-2 imagery was acquired on a 24-day cycle from January to March 2010, and from October to March 2010-2011 in a combination of ultra-fine and fine beam modes. Seasonal velocity regimes are readily identifiable in the dGPS results, with distinct variations in both horizontal velocity and vertical motion. The Spring Regime consists of an annual peak in horizontal velocity that corresponds closely with the onset of the melt season and progresses up-glacier, following the onset of melt at each station. The Summer Regime sees variable horizontal velocity and vertical uplift, superimposed on a long-term decline in motion. The Fall Regime sees a gradual slowing at all stations with little variation in horizontal velocity or vertical position. Rapid but short accelerations lasting up to 10 days were seen in the Winter regimes in both 2010 and 2011, occurring at various times throughout each regime. These events initiated at the Upper Station and progress down-glacier at propagation speeds up to 16,380 m day-1 and were accompanied by vertical uplift lasting for similar periods. Three velocity maps, one from the winter of 2010 and two from the fall/winter of 2011, produced from speckle tracking were validated by comparison with dGPS velocity, surface flow direction, and bedrock areas of zero motion, with an average velocity error of 2.0% and average difference in orientation of 4.3º.

<p>This dissertation aims to demonstrate the feasibility of direct infarct visualization using 3D medical ultrasound. The dissertation proceeds by providing the first ever demonstration of fully-sampled 3D ultrasonic speckle tracking using raw B-Mode data of the heart. The initial demonstration uses a Cramer-Rao lower bound limited displacement estimator. The dissertation then proceeds to develop an implementable method for biased time-delay estimation. Biased time-delay estimation is shown to surpass the traditional limits described by the Cramer-Rao lower bound in a mean square error sense. Additional characterization of this new class of estimator is performed to demonstrate that with easily obtainable levels of prior information it is possible to estimate displacements that do surpass the Cramer-Rao lower bound. Finally, using 2D and 3D realizations of biased displacement estimation (Bayesian speckle tracking) the passive strain induced in the ventricle walls during atrial systole is shown to be sufficient to distinguish healthy and chronically infarcted myocardium.</p> / Dissertation

Pour ce travail de thèse, nous avons réalisé cinq études originales en utilisant trois technologies d'imageries cardiovasculaires non-invasives.-Nous avons démontré, à partir d'une étude ex-vivo sur des artères coronaires humaines, que le scanner64 détecteurs ne permettait pas de caractériser précisément les différents composants des plaques. Ladistinction des plaques fibreuses et des plaques lipidiques est en effet impossible. Par ailleurs, notretravail a montré que l'IVUS ne devait pas servir d'imagerie de référence lors des études sur la plaque carcet examen présente lui aussi de nombreuses imprécisions.-Notre travail sur la thrombo-aspiration rapporte un effet très significatif de l'extraction effective dethrombus lors des thrombo-aspirations à la phase aiguë des STEMI, avec une réduction de la taille du no-reflow et de l'infarctus, évaluées en IRM ; une thrombo-aspiration positive représentant par ailleurs dansnotre travail, un critère indépendamment lié à la taille finale de l'infarctus. L'extraction effective dethrombus pourrait être considéré, en salle de cathétérisme, comme un critère de jugement de l'efficacitéde la thrombo-aspiration.-Notre étude sur les syndomes coronaires à coronaires angiographiquement normales a confirmé l'intérêtde l'IRM dans le bilan étiologique de cette présentation clinique, permettant un diagnostic étiologiquedans 2/3 des cas. Par ailleurs, nous avons observé une excellente évolution pour le tiers des patients chezqui l'IRM ne décèle pas d'anomalie myocardique. Des études d'une plus grande envergure serontnécessaires afin de confirmer nos résultats.-A partir d'IRM cardiaque réalisées chez des patients ayant présenté un premier épisode de STEMI, nousavons pu déterminer une valuer seuil de troponine prédictive de la survenue d'un no-reflow.-Enfin, à partir d'analyses en Speckle Tracking, nous avons mis en évidence une dysfonction systolique VD,objectivée par une altération des valeurs de Strain longitudinal VD, chez les patients présentant une EPgrave ou de gravité intermédiaire, comparativement à un groupe de patients avec une EP non grave. / In this doctoral thesis, we report on five original studies that use three différent non-invasive cardiovascular imaging techniques:- In an ex vivo study of human coronary arteries, we show that 64-slice computed tomography (CT) scan isnot capable of distinguishing between différent components of plaques. Indeed, it is impossible todifferentiate between fibrous and lipid plaques. Our study also showed that intravascular ultrasound(IVUS) should not be used as thé référence method in studies of plaque composition, since this techniquealso suffers from numerous limitations.- Our study of thé efficacy of thrombo-aspiration showed a significant benefit with effective extraction ofthrombus during thrombo-aspiration at thé acute phase of ST élévation myocardial infarction (STEMI),notably with a réduction of thé extent of no-reflow and of infarct size as evaluated by magnetic résonanceimaging (MRI). Productive thrombo-aspiration was shown in our study to be an independent predictor offinal infarct size. Effective extraction of thrombotic material could be considered in thé cathlab as acriterion for evaluating thé success of thé thrombo-aspiration procédure.- Our study of acute coronary syndromes with normal coronary arteries confirmed thé utility of MRI inestablishing thé etiology of this clinical présentation, and made it possible to establish an etiologicaldiagnosis in two-thirds of patients. We also observed excellent outcomes in thé third of patients in whomMRI did not find any myocardial anomalies. Larger studies are warranted to confirm thèse findings.- Based on cardiac MRI performed in patients presenting a first épisode of STEMI, we established athreshold value of troponin that predicts thé occurrence of no-reflow.- Lastly, using speckle-tracking analysis, we demonstrated impaired systolic right ventricular function inpatients with intermediate to high risk pulmonary embolism (PE), evaluated by altérations in longitudinalstrain values at thé level of thé right ventricle, compared to a control group of patients with low risk PE.

This project presents regional velocity measurements for the eastern portion of the St. Elias Mountains, including the entire glaciated area of Kluane National Park, derived from speckle tracking of Radarsat-2 imagery acquired in winter 2011 and 2012. This technique uses a cross-correlation approach to determine the displacement of the ‘speckle’ pattern of radar phase returns between two repeat-pass images. Further reconstruction of past velocities is performed on a selection of key glaciers using feature tracking of Landsat-5 imagery, allowing for the investigation of variability in glacier motion on interannual and decadal time scales. The results of the analysis showed that there is a strong velocity gradient across the region reflecting high accumulation rates on the Pacific-facing slope of the mountain range. These glaciers may have velocities an order of magnitude greater than glaciers of a similar size on the landward slope. Interannual variability was high, both in relation to surge events, of which a number were identified, and variation of other unknown controls on glacier motion. A long-term trend of velocity decrease was observed on the Kaskawulsh Glacier when comparing the results of this analysis to work carried out in the 1960s, the pattern of which is broadly congruent to measurements of surface elevation change over a similar period.