Patterns of electrical activation in an inhomogeneous ischemic sheet of myocardial tissue: a simulation study

• Published in: Computers in Cardiology 2001. Vol.28 (Cat. No.01CH37287) pp. 365 - 368
• Main Authors: Trenor, B., Ferrero, J.M., Montilla, F.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 2001
• Subjects: Anisotropic magnetoresistance; Biomembranes; Calcium; Computational modeling; Electric variables control; Extracellular; Mathematical model; Myocardium; Pattern analysis; Protocols
• ISBN: 0780372662; 9780780372665
• ISSN: 0276-6547
• DOI: 10.1109/CIC.2001.977668

Acute regional myocardial ischemia can lead to re-entrant activity under certain circumstances. Electrophysiological inhomogeneities within the tissue concomitant with premature stimuli may cause a specific type of re-entry called "figure-of-eight" re-entry. We reproduced and analysed the patterns of electrical activation in a 2D sheet of regionally-ischemic myocardial tissue using computer modeling. Simulations were carried out using a modified version of the Luo-Rudy-II model (C.H. Luo & Y. Rudy, 1994), which included a formulation of I/sub K(ATP)/ by J.M. Ferrero et al. (1996). The simulated 2D tissue included a central ischemic zone, a border zone and a normal zone. Our results showed differences in action potential and conduction velocity within the tissue, leading to curved patterns of activation and figure-of-eight re-entries. The vulnerable window, i.e. the time interval of the re-entrant premature stimulus, was wider under anisotropic conditions than in an isotropic tissue.