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Related Concept Videos

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...
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...
Conduction System of the Heart01:20

Conduction System of the Heart

The cardiac conduction system produces and transmits electrical impulses that prompt myocardial contraction, ensuring efficient heart function. This intricate system ensures that the heart beats in a coordinated and efficient manner, beginning with the atria and then the ventricles. The conduction system optimizes cardiac output by maintaining this precise sequence, which is crucial for adequate blood circulation.
This system relies on the unique properties of nodal and Purkinje cells:...
Conduction System of the Heart01:19

Conduction System of the Heart

Autorhythmicity is a term that refers to the heart's inherent ability to generate electrical signals and instigate muscle contractions. This self-regulating conduction system within the heart consists of two key components: the pacemaker cells and specialized conducting cells.
The pacemaker cells are located in two primary nodes: the sinoatrial (SA) node and the atrioventricular (AV) node. The SA node pacemaker cells can autonomously depolarize, triggering an action potential that leads to the...
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
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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Bidirectional Electrical and Optoelectronic Interfaces in Healthy and Ischemic Ex Vivo Rat Hearts
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Electromechanical activation sequence in normal heart.

Partho P Sengupta1, Fernando Tondato, Bijoy K Khandheria

  • 1Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ 85259, USA. sengupta.partho@mayo.edu

Heart Failure Clinics
|July 5, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study details the left ventricle's electromechanical activation sequence, linking electrical signals to mechanical function. Understanding this process is crucial for comprehending the beating heart's overall behavior.

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Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Cardiac Electrophysiology
  • Biomechanical Engineering

Background:

  • The left ventricle's (LV) electromechanical activation sequence is complex, involving coordinated electrical and mechanical events.
  • Understanding the interplay between electrical propagation and mechanical contraction is vital for diagnosing cardiac dysfunction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To summarize current experimental and theoretical data on the normal electromechanical activation sequence of the left ventricle (LV).
  • To elucidate the relationship between electrical activation, regional myocardial mechanics, and global LV twisting deformation.

Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of recent experimental and theoretical findings on LV electromechanical coupling.
  • Analysis of action potential propagation, myofiber stretch-shortening kinematics, and transmural deformation patterns.
  • Integration of electrical and mechanical data with myofiber architecture.

Main Results:

  • The study outlines the cardiac electrical sequence, including the wavefront of electrical activation via action potentials.
  • Regional heterogeneity in electromechanical coupling and myofiber stretch-shortening kinematics are presented.
  • Transmural shortening and lengthening sequences are linked to myofiber architecture, explaining LV twisting.

Conclusions:

  • Integrating electrical and mechanical aspects of myocardial function provides critical insights into the macroscopic physiologic behavior of a beating heart.
  • This comprehensive understanding aids in elucidating normal cardiac function and potentially identifying abnormalities.