Numerical modeling of human cardiac tissue demonstrated that small ionic heterogeneities can anchor spiral waves, leading to abrupt regional increases in excitation periods.
Computational modeling reveals that realistic ionic heterogeneities in human cardiac tissue can anchor spiral waves and cause abrupt regional increases in excitation periods, providing insights into arrhythmogenesis.
In relation to cardiac arrhythmias, heterogeneity of cardiac tissue is one of the most important factors underlying the onset of spiral waves and determining their type. In this paper, we numerically model heterogeneity of realistic size and value and study formation and dynamics of spiral waves around such heterogeneity. We find that the only sustained pattern obtained is a single spiral wave anchored around the heterogeneity. Dynamics of an anchored spiral wave depend on the extent of heterogeneity, and for certain heterogeneity size, we find abrupt regional increase in the period of excitation occurring as a bifurcation. We study factors determining spatial distribution of excitation periods of anchored spiral waves and discuss consequences of such dynamics for cardiac arrhythmias and possibilities for experimental testings of our predictions.
Defauw et al. (Tue,) conducted a other in Cardiac arrhythmias (simulated). Numerical modeling of ionic heterogeneity vs. Homogeneous cardiac tissue was evaluated on Spiral wave dynamics and period of excitation. Numerical modeling of human cardiac tissue demonstrated that small ionic heterogeneities can anchor spiral waves, leading to abrupt regional increases in excitation periods.