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Review
. 2013 Aug 26:5:69-75.
doi: 10.4137/BECB.S10960. eCollection 2013.

Cardiac electrophysiological dynamics from the cellular level to the organ level

Daisuke Sato  1 , Colleen E Clancy  1
Affiliations
Review

Cardiac electrophysiological dynamics from the cellular level to the organ level

Daisuke Sato et al. Biomed Eng Comput Biol. .

Abstract

Cardiac alternans describes contraction of the ventricles in a strong-weak-strong-weak sequence at a constant pacing frequency. Clinically, alternans manifests as alternation of the T-wave on the ECG and predisposes individuals to arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. In this review, we focus on the fundamental dynamical mechanisms of alternans and show how alternans at the cellular level underlies alternans in the tissue and on the ECG. A clear picture of dynamical mechanisms underlying alternans is important to allow development of effective anti-arrhythmic strategies.

Keywords: Cardiac dynamics; action potential; alternans; arrhythmia; calcium; cardiac electrophysiology; mathematical model; restitution.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(Top): APD and DI. (Bottom): The physiological mechanism of APD alternans involves recovery from inactivation of ICaL.
Figure 2
Figure 2
APD restitution and dynamical mechanism of APD alternans.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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