Continuous-time feedback control is more effective than impulsive control at suppressing alternans in longer Purkinje fibers, potentially offering a better method to prevent fibrillation.
Continuous-time feedback may suppress alternans over longer distances than impulsive control in animal fibers; leaves open translation to clinical arrhythmia prevention.
Alternans-an arrhythmic response of cardiac tissue to periodic pacing-often serves as a precursor to a more dangerous, and potentially lethal, state of fibrillation. Suppression of alternans using feedback control may be a plausible method to prevent fibrillation. Several approaches based on impulsive control have been proposed previously, where feedback is applied for a brief instance of time during each pacing interval. This paper presents a continuous-time approach, where feedback current is applied at all times, which is capable of suppressing alternans in fibers of significantly greater length (up to at least 4 cm), compared with impulsive control (less than 1 cm), and for a wide range of pacing cycle lengths.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Garzón et al. (2014) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: