Author(s)

J. Beaumont, N. Davidenko, J. Davidenko & J. Jalife

Abstract

Self-sustaining spiral wave activity in a two- dimensional ionic model of cardiac ventricular muscle J. Beaumont, N. Davidenko, J. Davidenko, J. Jalife Department of Pharmacology, State University of New York, 7VY 1 Introduction Recent experiments in isolated heart muscle preparations have demonstrated that relatively small pieces of 2-dimensional anisotropic myocardium (2 cm x 2 cm x 0.5 mm) can sustain electrical rotors radiating spiral waves of activity [5]. Spiral waves are initiated using cross field stimulation [5] and may be sustained and stable for long periods of time (beyond 20 min.). The organizing center of the spiral (i.e, the rotor or "core") is usually % 3 x 5 mm, the rotation period ranges between 100 and 200 msec, and the action potential duration ranges between 80 and 150 msec during fast stimulation frequency. We have carried out computer simulations using a membrane model that incorporates the main ionic currents of the ventricul

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