# EXercise Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Assessment of Left Atrial Mechanics Following Ablation TO Reduce Atrial Fibrillation Burden and Correlation with Exercise CapacitY: EXCLAMATORY Longitudinal Study

> **NIH NIH K23** · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $181,605

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Atrial fibrillation is a highly prevalent condition resulting in disordered contraction of the atria (top chambers of
the heart). It affects one in four individuals during their lifetime. It is known that the arrhythmia has a
bidirectional relationship with dysfunctional atrial contraction, a condition which itself is becoming understood
as a means by which individuals may develop heart failure. However, the majority of published literature to
date involves examining atrial function while lying supine at rest, thus incompletely characterizing the varying
states of exertion that one experiences during activities of daily living. Exercise-based cardiovascular magnetic
resonance imaging is a powerful non-invasive diagnostic modality that can measure heart function during
exercise and has the potential to uncover key mechanisms by which patients with atrial fibrillation may
progress to overt heart failure – and whether current treatment techniques (namely, catheter ablation) may
alter that trajectory.
The broad goal of this application is to facilitate training of the principal investigator, Dr. Cory Trankle, MD, for a
career as a patient-centered independent researcher who uses exercise-based diagnostic modalities (including
magnetic resonance imaging), with a specific interest in characterizing mechanisms of exercise limitations
such as left atrial dysfunction and identifying them as potential biomarkers and targets for therapeutic
interventions. In addition to didactic coursework and subspecialty seminars, Dr. Trankle will lead a
multidisciplinary team conducting a prospective clinical study investigating the effects that catheter ablation for
atrial fibrillation has on atrial function during exercise. He will address three specific aims in patients with atrial
fibrillation undergoing catheter ablation: (1) determine the effects of ablation on the ability of the left atrium to
augment its function during exercise, (2) determine the impacts ablation on left ventricular performance during
exercise, and (3) determine whether those changes experienced in left ventricular performance are indeed
associated with changes in left atrial function. A better understanding of the impact of catheter ablation, a
common treatment for atrial fibrillation, has on these cardiac structures during exercise has the potential to
identify those at highest risk for heart failure incidence and lead to more targeted treatment in this highly
prevalent disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10906112
- **Project number:** 5K23HL166956-02
- **Recipient organization:** VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Cory Trankle
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $181,605
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-08-15 → 2028-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10906112

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10906112, EXercise Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Assessment of Left Atrial Mechanics Following Ablation TO Reduce Atrial Fibrillation Burden and Correlation with Exercise CapacitY: EXCLAMATORY Longitudinal Study (5K23HL166956-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10906112. Licensed CC0.

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