ONSET AND TERMINATION OF REENTRANT EXCITATION IN HOMOGENEOUS HUMAN VIRTUAL ATRIAL TISSUE

Abstract

Multicellular models of homogeneous and isotropic human atria have been developed by incorporating cellular models of membrane electrical activity of single human atrial myocyte into a parabolic partial differential equation. These models are used to study the rate dependent conduction velocity of excitation wave, vulnerability of tissue to reentry and dynamical behaviors of reentry. Bidomain models were also developed to study the actions of a large and brief external electrical stimulus on wave propagation in human atria. These studies provide basic insights to understand the onset and termination of atrial arrhythmias in the human heart.