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History of the J Wave and J Wave Syndromes

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J Wave Syndromes

Abstract

Since discovery of the Brugada syndrome, ECG phenomena of late ventricular depolarization and early ventricular repolarization has rapidly gained recognition as a major cause of life-threatening arrhythmias, and dramatically accelerated a series of remarkably insightful discoveries in experimental, genetic, and clinical cardiac electrophysiology. Theme of “J-wave Syndromes” occupies a prominent portion of the time devoted to cardiac arrhythmias at national and international meetings, and continuing to appear in publications on the subject continue to appear at a brisk rate. More questions than answers still remain with regard to etiology, pathogenesis, arrhythmogenesis, risk stratification, epidemiology, prevention, and treatment of the JWS. These and other ambiguities concerning diagnosis and arrhythmogenic potential of the JWS have prompted an “Expert Consensus Conference on J-wave Syndromes. Mechanisms, Diagnosis, Prognosis, Risk Stratification and Treatment of Brugada and Early Repolarization Syndromes” to be held in Shanghai, China on April 21–23, 2015.

This chapter is focused on a brief history of names, terms, some important discoveries in experimental and clinical cardiac electrophysiology related to hypothermic, acquired, idiopathic J-waves, early repolarization and Brugada syndromes, and their proarrhythmic potential.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rutgers University, UMDNJ-RWJ Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

    Ihor Gussak MD, PhD, FACC

  2. Experimental Cardiac Electrophysiology, Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA

    Georg Gussak BA

Authors
  1. Ihor Gussak MD, PhD, FACC
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  2. Georg Gussak BA
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ihor Gussak MD, PhD, FACC .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiovascular Research, Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, USA

    Charles Antzelevitch

  2. Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Lankenau Medical Center, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, USA

    Gan-Xin Yan

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Gussak, I., Gussak, G. (2016). History of the J Wave and J Wave Syndromes. In: Antzelevitch, C., Yan, GX. (eds) J Wave Syndromes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31578-2_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31578-2_1

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