Role of spiral wave pinning in inhomogeneous active media in the termination of atrial fibrillation by electrical cardioversion

Pawel Kuklik; Christopher X Wong; Anthony G Brooks; Jan Jacek Zebrowski; Prashanthan Sanders

doi:10.1016/j.compbiomed.2010.02.001

Role of spiral wave pinning in inhomogeneous active media in the termination of atrial fibrillation by electrical cardioversion

Comput Biol Med. 2010 Mar;40(3):363-72. doi: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2010.02.001. Epub 2010 Feb 18.

Authors

Pawel Kuklik¹, Christopher X Wong, Anthony G Brooks, Jan Jacek Zebrowski, Prashanthan Sanders

Affiliation

¹ Cardiovascular Research Centre, Department of Cardiology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia. pawel.kuklik@adelaide.edu.au

PMID: 20167311
DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2010.02.001

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of arrhythmia to affect humans. One of the treatment modalities for atrial fibrillation is an electrical cardioversion. Electrical cardioversion can result in one of three outcomes: an immediate termination of arrhythmic activity, a delayed termination or unsuccessful termination. The mechanism of delayed termination is unknown. Here we present a model of an atrial fibrillation as a coexistence of several spiral waves pinned to the inhomogeneities in active media. We show that in inhomogeneous system delayed termination can be explained as the unpinning of a spiral wave from inhomogeneities and its termination after collision with the edge of the system.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Atrial Fibrillation / physiopathology
Atrial Fibrillation / therapy*
Electric Countershock*
Humans