BiologybioRxiv
Heuristic editor, no API keyVerdict: NotableCADENCE: Open-source software for signal conditioning, feature extraction, visualization and analysis of cardiac optical mapping data
Optical mapping is a fundamental tool for cardiac electrophysiology research.
Key numbers
- 0.03% across 84 of 88
Caveats
- Preprint; not yet peer reviewed.
VerdictWorth a reader's time today.
Abstract
Optical mapping is a fundamental tool for cardiac electrophysiology research. Processing of these signals can be non-trivial, requiring multiple pre- and post-processing steps to limit interpretation errors. Existing software packages have features siloed across platforms and require users to combine several packages for in-depth analysis. To address this, we developed CADENCE, an open-source MATLAB-based application combining feature breadth (e.g., SVD denoising, conduction velocity, alternans, annotated rotors) and depth (e.g., 15 independent alternans features across both voltage and calcium modalities) in an end-to-end pipeline including data conversion, signal conditioning, feature extraction, and signal analysis. We demonstrate CADENCE's capabilities across datasets spanning four species (rat, rabbit, pig, and human), three tissue preparations (slices, wedge, and whole heart), and three camera configurations (single, dual, and panoramic). CADENCE was validated against three blinded expert observers (15 hearts) and demonstrated agreement comparable to inter-observer variability (SD ratios 1.07/0.95/0.89 for APD80, activation, CaTD80). Dominant frequency was recovered with a median error of 0.03% across 84 of 88 paced recordings with 1:1 capture. CADENCE's code is publicly available and distributed as a compiled standalone application that the end-user can install and run without a MATLAB license to encourage adoption and standardization across laboratories.
The editor's rubric
| Dimension | Level | Weight | What that level means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leverage | ████░ 4 | 24% | A general-purpose tool used across several fields (Adam, ResNet, LoRA, next-generation sequencing). |
| Magnitude | ██░░░ 2 | 16% | Solid incremental gain on a meaningful problem. |
| Evidence | ████░ 4 | 20% | Strong: large scale, preregistered, independently replicated, or a well-powered randomized trial. |
| Novelty | ██░░░ 2 | 20% | A new combination of known ideas. |
| Trajectory | ██░░░ 2 | 10% | Some room to improve with obvious engineering. |
| Stakes | ██░░░ 2 | 10% | Benefits a professional community (practitioners, clinicians, engineers). |
Editor’s rationale
Heuristic triage from title and abstract text only, not a reading of the paper. Cues found: method (we report); breadth (many tasks); design (blinded); verification (multiple benchmarks, experimental validation, independent replication).
How the score was computed
- Merit
- 5.8 / 10
- Adjusted merit
- 4.7 / 10
- Attention
- 0%
- Freshness
- 88%