Computational Modeling of Cardiac Electrophysiology with Human Realistic Heart-Torso Model

The electrocardiogram (ECG) has long been considered the non-invasive gold standard in diagnosing heart diseases. However, its connection with the cardiac molecular biology remains somewhat unclear. Therefore, modeling the electrophysiological behavior of the heart provides an important theoretical complement to clinically observable data. This study employed an electrophysiological model, integrating a bidomain model with the Fitzhugh-Nagumo (FHN) model, to compute an ECG and body surface potential maps (BSPMs). Parameters from previous studies were simulated individually for the cardiac domain. A specific set of parameters was selected based on comparisons of the morphology of the 12-lead ECG. The effect of the heart position relative to the torso on the 12-lead ECG was analyzed using a simplified whole-heart model to approximate the realistic heart position within the torso. Significant waveform changes were observed in leads VIII and aVL, as compared to other leads. This study employed a realistic heart-torso model, in contrast to earlier studies. External stimuli were incorporated into the original electrophysiological model to account for the electrical isolation between the atria and ventricles. The morphology of the simulated 12-lead ECG closely matched that of clinically observed data.