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Vulnerability in an excitable medium: analytical and numerical studies of initiating unidirectional propagation.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Starmer, CF; Biktashev, VN; Romashko, DN; Stepanov, MR; Makarova, ON; Krinsky, VI
Published in: Biophysical journal
November 1993

Cardiac tissue can display unusual responses to certain stimulation protocols. In the wake of a conditioning wave of excitation, spiral waves can be initiated by applying stimuli timed to occur during a period of vulnerability (VP). Although vulnerability is well known in cardiac and chemical media, the determinants of the VP and its boundaries have received little theoretical and analytical study. From numerical and analytical studies of reaction-diffusion equations, we have found that 1) vulnerability is an inherent property of Beeler-Reuter and FitzHugh-Nagumo models of excitable media; 2) the duration of the vulnerable window (VW) the one-dimensional analog of the VP, is sensitive to the medium properties and the size of the stimulus field; and 3) the amplitudes of the excitatory and recovery processes modulate the duration of the VW. The analytical results reveal macroscopic behavior (vulnerability) derived from the diffusion of excitation that is not observable at the level of isolated cells or single reaction units.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Biophysical journal

DOI

EISSN

1542-0086

ISSN

0006-3495

Publication Date

November 1993

Volume

65

Issue

5

Start / End Page

1775 / 1787

Related Subject Headings

  • Models, Cardiovascular
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Humans
  • Heart
  • Electrophysiology
  • Electric Stimulation
  • Culture Media
  • Biophysics
  • Biophysics
  • Biophysical Phenomena
 

Citation

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Starmer, C. F., Biktashev, V. N., Romashko, D. N., Stepanov, M. R., Makarova, O. N., & Krinsky, V. I. (1993). Vulnerability in an excitable medium: analytical and numerical studies of initiating unidirectional propagation. Biophysical Journal, 65(5), 1775–1787. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0006-3495(93)81233-5
Starmer, C. F., V. N. Biktashev, D. N. Romashko, M. R. Stepanov, O. N. Makarova, and V. I. Krinsky. “Vulnerability in an excitable medium: analytical and numerical studies of initiating unidirectional propagation.Biophysical Journal 65, no. 5 (November 1993): 1775–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0006-3495(93)81233-5.
Starmer CF, Biktashev VN, Romashko DN, Stepanov MR, Makarova ON, Krinsky VI. Vulnerability in an excitable medium: analytical and numerical studies of initiating unidirectional propagation. Biophysical journal. 1993 Nov;65(5):1775–87.
Starmer, C. F., et al. “Vulnerability in an excitable medium: analytical and numerical studies of initiating unidirectional propagation.Biophysical Journal, vol. 65, no. 5, Nov. 1993, pp. 1775–87. Epmc, doi:10.1016/s0006-3495(93)81233-5.
Starmer CF, Biktashev VN, Romashko DN, Stepanov MR, Makarova ON, Krinsky VI. Vulnerability in an excitable medium: analytical and numerical studies of initiating unidirectional propagation. Biophysical journal. 1993 Nov;65(5):1775–1787.
Journal cover image

Published In

Biophysical journal

DOI

EISSN

1542-0086

ISSN

0006-3495

Publication Date

November 1993

Volume

65

Issue

5

Start / End Page

1775 / 1787

Related Subject Headings

  • Models, Cardiovascular
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Humans
  • Heart
  • Electrophysiology
  • Electric Stimulation
  • Culture Media
  • Biophysics
  • Biophysics
  • Biophysical Phenomena