The signal-averaged ECG: Time-domain analysis

During the past decade, the high-resolution electrocardiogram as a non-invasive technique for the detection of ventricular late potentials has developed from an experimental method into a routinely applied non-invasive method for risk stratification of patients after myocardial infarction. Meanwhile, several approaches have been developed for the detection of ventricular late potentials including time–domain analysis, frequency–domain analysis and spectrotemporal mapping. Clinical applications are no longer limited to patients after myocardial infarction, but cover a wider spectrum of different cardiac diseases. This review focuses on some methodological aspects as well as on the results and current clinical applications of the analysis of the signal-averaged ECG in the time domain.