Title
Dissipation Of The Excitation Front As A Mechanism Of Self-Terminating Arrhythmias
Abstract
The dissipation of the excitation wavefronts is a specific mechanism of propagation failure if the sharp gradient of the transmembrane voltage at the wavefront smears out and spread of voltage becomes diffusive, as the main excitation current becomes inactivated. This is produced by the normal kinetics of the ionic currents underlying the action potential. Here we demonstrate that the dissipation of the excitation wavefront can cause arrhythmia as well as lead to its self-termination. We use Courtemanche et al. model of human atrial action potential to demonstrate how reentry creates dynamic electrophysiologic inhomogeneity of the tissue. Local dissipation of the excitation front causes wave breaks and instantaneous displacement of the tip of the reentry, and the same mechanism can lead to elimination of all wavelets, as the inhomogeneity creates conditions for simultaneous dissipation of their excitation fronts.
Year
DOI
Venue
2003
10.1142/S0218127403008909
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIFURCATION AND CHAOS
Keywords
DocType
Volume
human atrium, self-terminating arrhythmias (mechanism), fast sodium current, spiral wave, computer modeling
Journal
13
Issue
ISSN
Citations 
12
0218-1274
3
PageRank 
References 
Authors
0.85
0
6
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Irina V. Biktasheva1115.39
Vadim N. Biktashev2235.74
W. N. Dawes330.85
Arun V. Holden45220.71
R. C. Saumarez530.85
A. M. Savill631.19