Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Conduction System of the Heart

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...

Electrophysiology of Normal Cardiac Rhythm

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...

Regulation of Heart Rates

Regulation of Heart Rates

The regulation of heart rate is a complex process controlled by the autonomic nervous system (ANS), hormonal influences, and intrinsic cardiac mechanisms. The ANS has two main components: the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS).
The SNS increases heart rate through the release of norepinephrine and epinephrine, which act on beta-1 adrenergic receptors in the heart. This action increases the rate of depolarization in the sinoatrial (SA) node, the heart's...

Mechanism of Cardiac Arrhythmias

Mechanism of Cardiac Arrhythmias

Arrhythmias are irregular heart rhythms occurring when the heart's electrical impulses become abnormal. These disturbances can lead to various symptoms, depending on their severity and the underlying cause. Some common factors contributing to arrhythmias include hypoxia, ischemia, electrolyte imbalances, excessive catecholamine exposure, drug toxicity, and muscle overstretching. Arrhythmias can be classified into two main types based on the rate and site of origin of abnormal heart rhythms.

Cardiac Action Potential

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

The Cardiac Cycle

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Cardiac implantable electronic device trends and infection risk in cardiac sarcoidosis: a 30-year perspective from southern and western Sweden.

Heart rhythm·2026

Same author

Prognostic Value of ECG-derived f-wave Indices from Implantable Loop Recorder: Analysis from the LOOP Study.

Heart rhythm·2026

Same author

Premature Ventricular Contractions as a Target for Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy Trials PVC in ARVC trials.

Heart rhythm·2026

Same author

Risk Stratification of Patients With Type 2 Long-QT Syndrome Through Analysis of T-Wave Morphology.

Journal of the American Heart Association·2026

Same author

A chamber study of respiratory and autonomic responses to hydrotreated vegetable oil exhaust using ECG-derived respiration.

Frontiers in physiology·2026

Same author

Longer Baseline Left Ventricular Activation Time Is Associated With Lower Mortality and Lower Risk of Heart Failure Hospitalization in Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Recipients.

Annals of noninvasive electrocardiology : the official journal of the International Society for Holter and Noninvasive Electrocardiology, Inc·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 26, 2025

Microelectrode Array Recording of Sinoatrial Node Firing Rate to Identify Intrinsic Cardiac Pacemaking Defects in Mice

Microelectrode Array Recording of Sinoatrial Node Firing Rate to Identify Intrinsic Cardiac Pacemaking Defects in Mice

Published on: July 5, 2021

An atrioventricular node model incorporating autonomic tone.

Felix Plappert¹, Mikael Wallman², Mostafa Abdollahpur¹

¹Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.

Frontiers in Physiology

|October 3, 2022

Summary

Autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity influences atrial fibrillation (AF) treatment response. Mathematical modeling of the atrioventricular (AV) node reveals ANS effects on heart rate modulation during AF.

Keywords:

ECG RR series characteristics atrial fibrillation atrioventricular node autonomic tone mathematical modeling sample entropy tilt test

More Related Videos

Patient-specific Modeling of the Heart: Estimation of Ventricular Fiber Orientations

Patient-specific Modeling of the Heart: Estimation of Ventricular Fiber Orientations

Published on: January 8, 2013

Lumped-Parameter and Finite Element Modeling of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Lumped-Parameter and Finite Element Modeling of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Published on: February 13, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 26, 2025

Microelectrode Array Recording of Sinoatrial Node Firing Rate to Identify Intrinsic Cardiac Pacemaking Defects in Mice

Microelectrode Array Recording of Sinoatrial Node Firing Rate to Identify Intrinsic Cardiac Pacemaking Defects in Mice

Published on: July 5, 2021

Patient-specific Modeling of the Heart: Estimation of Ventricular Fiber Orientations

Patient-specific Modeling of the Heart: Estimation of Ventricular Fiber Orientations

Published on: January 8, 2013

Lumped-Parameter and Finite Element Modeling of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Lumped-Parameter and Finite Element Modeling of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Published on: February 13, 2021

Area of Science:

Cardiovascular Physiology
Computational Biology
Medical Modeling

Background:

Patient response to atrial fibrillation (AF) treatment varies significantly.
Autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity is a potential factor influencing these variations.
The atrioventricular (AV) node modulates heart rate during AF.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of ANS-induced activity on AV nodal function during AF.
To develop and validate an extended mathematical model of the AV node incorporating autonomic tone changes.

Main Methods:

Developed an extended AV node model using sensitivity analysis to incorporate ANS-induced changes in refractoriness and conduction delay.
Simulated RR series using the model with atrial impulse data from clinical tilt tests.
Qualitatively evaluated simulated RR series against clinical data for heart rate, variability, and irregularity.

Main Results:

A 10% decrease in conduction delay replicated changes during head-down tilt.
A 5% decrease in refractory period and 10% decrease in conduction delay replicated changes during head-up tilt.
Model extension was necessary to capture ANS-induced changes, indicating atrial activity alone is insufficient.

Conclusions:

The extended AV node model accurately simulates ANS-induced changes in cardiac electrophysiology during AF.
ANS modulation of AV nodal refractoriness and conduction significantly impacts heart rate characteristics.
Mathematical modeling provides valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying AF treatment response variability.