Modeling and simulation of hypothermia effects on cardiac electrical dynamics

Area of Science:

• Computational biology
• Cardiac electrophysiology
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Experimental studies show temperature affects cardiac action potential duration (APD).
• Regional heart cooling can prolong APD and terminate ventricular tachycardia.
• Hypothermia's anti-arrhythmic effects require further investigation through modeling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To numerically demonstrate hypothermia's efficacy in suppressing cardiac arrhythmias.
• To simulate the impact of temperature on cardiac action potentials.
• To investigate the relationship between heat transfer and cardiac electrical activity.

Main Methods:

• Developed a coupled mathematical model integrating Pennes' bioheat equation and the bidomain model.
• Simplified the heat-bidomain model to a heat-monodomain model for analysis.
• Employed a time-adaptive mesh finite element method for numerical simulations.
• Validated model with experimental Q10 values for regular electrophysiological waves.

Main Results:

• Simulated the effect of temperature on cardiac electrophysiological waves.
• Demonstrated global hypothermia's ability to suppress both single and multiple spiral waves.
• Quantified the relationship between heat and cardiac action potential duration.

Conclusions:

• Numerical modeling confirms hypothermia as a viable strategy for suppressing cardiac arrhythmias.
• The developed model provides a tool for understanding temperature's role in cardiac electrophysiology.
• Findings support the potential of therapeutic hypothermia in managing cardiac arrhythmias.