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Updated: Aug 10, 2026
08:32
External Excitation of Neurons Using Electric and Magnetic Fields in One- and Two-dimensional Cultures
Published on: May 7, 2017
New currents in electrical stimulation of excitable tissues
1Section on Tissue Biophysics & Biomimetics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-5772, USA. pjbasser@helix.nih.gov
Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering
|November 10, 2001
Summary
The bidomain model unifies the understanding of how electric fields stimulate excitable tissues like nerves and cardiac cells. This framework explains various stimulation mechanisms and aids in predicting tissue behavior.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Computational Neuroscience
- Electrophysiology
Background:
- Excitable tissues, including peripheral axons, cortical neurons, and cardiac tissue, respond to electric fields through diverse mechanisms.
- Understanding these varied responses is crucial for advancing neuroscience and cardiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present the bidomain model as a unified framework for analyzing electric field stimulation of excitable tissues.
- To explain key concepts like the activating function and stimulation types (anode/cathode break and make).
Main Methods:
- Utilizing the bidomain model to analyze electric field interactions with excitable tissues.
- Applying concepts such as the activating function and virtual electrodes to explain excitation phenomena.
Main Results:
- The bidomain model successfully explains disparate excitation mechanisms in different tissues (axons, neurons, cardiac).
- It provides a consistent framework for understanding electrical and magnetic stimulation.
- The model facilitates prediction of tissue behavior and experimental design.
Conclusions:
- The bidomain model offers a powerful, unified approach to understanding electric field stimulation of excitable tissues.
- This framework is valuable for research, hypothesis testing, and experimental design in electrophysiology.
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