Modeling cardiac electrical activity at the cell and tissue levels
Travis M Austin1, Darren A Hooks, Peter J Hunter
1Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|November 30, 2006
Summary
Supracellular structures in cardiac tissue influence electrical activation spread and arrhythmias. Mathematical modeling bridges scale gaps, aiding understanding of these mesoscale phenomena in ventricular tissue.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular physiology
- Computational biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Cardiac ventricular tissue possesses supracellular structures.
- These structures are hypothesized to affect electrical activation, arrhythmogenesis, and cardioversion.
- Experimental measurement limitations exist at the mesoscale.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of mesoscale tissue structures on electrical activation in cardiac ventricles.
- To bridge the gap between macroscale and microscale measurements using mathematical modeling.
- To test hypotheses regarding discontinuous activation patterns.
Main Methods:
- Developed tissue-specific mathematical models.
- Incorporated ion channel models at the cellular level.
- Integrated cellular models into reaction-diffusion equations at the tissue level.
Main Results:
- Enabled consideration of key hypotheses regarding discontinuous activation.
- Provided a method to study mesoscale phenomena not directly measurable.
- Facilitated understanding of how supracellular structures impact cardiac electrical behavior.
Conclusions:
- Mathematical modeling is crucial for understanding mesoscale cardiac tissue structures.
- These models can elucidate the role of supracellular architecture in electrical activation and arrhythmias.
- Bridging scale gaps is essential for advancing cardiac electrophysiology research.
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