Key result
Simulations using a 2D atrial tissue model showed that shorter action potential refractoriness in the left atrium translates into a shorter period of spiral rotation, dominating overall excitation.
Computational modeling demonstrates that shorter action potential refractoriness in the left atrium allows it to act as a dominant reentrant source during atrial fibrillation.
Atrial AP heterogeneity may influence reentrant wave stability in AF; modeling leaves open clinical relevance pending in vivo validation.
Experimentally observed differences in the action potential (AP) properties between the left (LA) and right (RA) atria are believed to be important in maintaining reentrant sources during atrial fibrillation. We incorporate AP models for single LA and RA cells, as well as major intra- and interatrial conduction pathways, into a 2D atrial tissue model and study the role of tissue heterogeneity in global interactions between reentrant spiral waves in both atria. Our simulations show that shorter AP refractoriness in the LA translates into a shorter period of spiral rotation, and as a result, reentry in the LA dominates the overall excitation patterns in the atria.
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Aslanidi et al. (2009) studied Atrial fibrillation. 2D atrial tissue model with AP models for LA and RA cells was evaluated on Excitation patterns in the atria. Simulations using a 2D atrial tissue model showed that shorter action potential refractoriness in the left atrium translates into a shorter period of spiral rotation, dominating overall excitation.
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