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Related Concept Videos

Cardiac Action Potential01:30

Cardiac Action Potential

Cardiac action potentials are essential for proper heart function, enabling the rhythmic contractions needed for adequate blood circulation. Nodal cells and Purkinje fibers, specialized for electrical conduction, generate these action potentials.
The cardiac action potential process involves a series of phases characterized by the movement of ions across the cardiac cell membranes, leading to the depolarization and repolarization of the cardiac myocytes.
Ionic Basis of Cardiac Action Potentials
Electrophysiology of Normal Cardiac Rhythm01:19

Electrophysiology of Normal Cardiac Rhythm

The normal cardiac rhythm is a synchronized electrical activity that facilitates the regular and coordinated contraction of the heart muscle. This process is essential for efficient blood circulation throughout the body. The fundamental elements involved in establishing and maintaining this rhythm include the unique electrical properties of cardiac muscle cells, the sinoatrial (SA) node's pacemaker function, the specialized conducting system, and the ionic mechanisms underlying each phase of...
Action Potential: Phases of Stimulation01:28

Action Potential: Phases of Stimulation

The action potential is a complex electrical event that occurs in excitable cells, such as neurons and muscle cells. It consists of several distinct phases, each with specific characteristics.
Resting Phase:
In this phase, the cell's membrane is at its resting potential, typically around -70 millivolts (mV) for neurons. Inside the cell, there is a higher concentration of potassium ions (K+) and a lower concentration of sodium ions (Na+). Voltage-gated sodium channels are closed, and...
The Cardiac Cycle01:13

The Cardiac Cycle

The heart beats rhythmically in a sequence called the cardiac cycle—a rapid coordination of contraction (systole) and relaxation (diastole).
The Process
Electrical signals—sent from the sinoatrial (SA) node in the right atrial wall to the atrioventricular (AV) node between the right atrium and right ventricle—cause both atria to simultaneously contract. When the signal reaches the AV node, it pauses for approximately a tenth of a second, allowing the atria to contract and empty blood into the...
ECG Interpretation of Arrhythmias II: Atrial, Junctional and Ventricular Arrhythmias01:25

ECG Interpretation of Arrhythmias II: Atrial, Junctional and Ventricular Arrhythmias

Arrhythmia is a condition characterized by an irregular heart rhythm, with ECG changes that differ based on its origin and nature. The types of arrhythmias discussed below include atrial, junctional, and ventricular arrhythmias.Atrial ArrhythmiasPremature Atrial Complexes (PACs): PACs are early atrial beats caused by stress, caffeine, alcohol, electrolyte imbalances, hypoxia, hyperthyroidism, or certain medications (e.g., bronchodilators and decongestants). The ECG shows early P waves with an...
Correlation between ECG and Cardiac Cycle01:25

Correlation between ECG and Cardiac Cycle

The electrical signals recorded on an electrocardiogram (ECG) occur before the mechanical processes of contraction and relaxation during the cardiac cycle.
A cardiac action potential originates in the SA node and spreads throughout the atria and the AV node in approximately 0.03 seconds. This results in the P wave in an ECG and triggers atrial contraction. The action potential is then briefly slowed at the AV node, allowing the atria to contract and fill the ventricles with blood before...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Isolation of Human Atrial Myocytes for Simultaneous Measurements of Ca2+ Transients and Membrane Currents
10:53

Isolation of Human Atrial Myocytes for Simultaneous Measurements of Ca2+ Transients and Membrane Currents

Published on: July 3, 2013

Action potential duration gradient protects the right atrium from fibrillating.

Marc Ridler1, David M McQueen, Charles S Peskin

  • 1Fac. of Electr. Eng., Calgary Univ., Alta. mridler@ucalgary.ca

Conference Proceedings : ... Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual Conference
|October 20, 2007
PubMed
Summary

This study reveals how action potential duration gradients influence atrial fibrillation (AF) triggers. Shorter vulnerability windows in the right atrium suggest a protective effect against AF development.

More Related Videos

Isolation of Atrial Myocytes from Adult Mice
08:34

Isolation of Atrial Myocytes from Adult Mice

Published on: July 25, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Isolation of Human Atrial Myocytes for Simultaneous Measurements of Ca2+ Transients and Membrane Currents
10:53

Isolation of Human Atrial Myocytes for Simultaneous Measurements of Ca2+ Transients and Membrane Currents

Published on: July 3, 2013

Isolation of Atrial Myocytes from Adult Mice
08:34

Isolation of Atrial Myocytes from Adult Mice

Published on: July 25, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Electrophysiology
  • Computational Biology
  • Cardiac Arrhythmia Research

Background:

  • Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a prevalent cardiac arrhythmia driven by rapid, disorganized atrial electrical activity.
  • Ectopic foci and reentrant waves are key mechanisms initiating atrial arrhythmias.
  • Regional differences in ionic properties create spatial gradients in action potential duration (APD) within the atria.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of action potential duration (APD) gradients on the induction of atrial arrhythmias.
  • To determine how spatial dispersion of APD affects the vulnerability window for ectopic beat-induction of reentry in the atria.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a computationally efficient computer model of canine atria.
  • Introduced regional ionic heterogeneities to simulate smooth APD gradients.
  • Assessed the window of vulnerability for reentry induction via ectopic beats in both left and right atria, with and without APD gradients.

Main Results:

  • An APD gradient significantly shortened the window of vulnerability for reentry induction in the right atrium (RA).
  • The left atrium (LA) exhibited a slightly longer window of vulnerability when an APD gradient was present.
  • These findings suggest that APD dispersion may have differential effects on arrhythmogenesis in different regions of the atria.

Conclusions:

  • APD gradients can modulate the susceptibility to AF by altering the vulnerability window.
  • The observed shortening of the RA vulnerability window implies a potential protective role against AF.
  • Ionic dispersion's effect on arrhythmogenesis is region-dependent, with implications for understanding AF mechanisms.