Non-Linear Physics and Out of Equilibrium Systems. NOLIN

Computational Cardiac Modeling

Arrhythmias in cardiac tissue are related to irregular electrical wave propagation in the heart. Some types of arrhythmias have been frequently related with fibrosis and ischemia of the tissue, which typically reduce the speed of propagation of the electrical wave. Cardiac tissue is typically model with the continuous cable equations where mathematical instabilities of the waves can give rise to arrhythmias. Furthermore, tissues are formed by a discrete network of cells, which, normally, are far to be homogeneous. Fibrosis are related with non-conducting regions at the cellular level which may gives rise to additional wave production and the onset of arrhythmias.

 

Current Projects

 

  • Computational Models of microstructure of cardiac tissue, Funded by CAPES (Brazil) by the Program “Science without borders”, Brazil, 2015-2017 (Federal University of Juiz de fora)

  • Development and application of auricular myocyte models for the investigation of mechanisms of high risk patients of attrial fibrillation. Funded by the “Marató de TV3” foundation (Spain), Spain 2016-2019

 

Related Publications

 

  • Nonlinear physics of electrical wave propagation in the heart: A review.

    S. Alonso, M. Bär, and B. Echebarria, Accepted in Rep. Prog. Phys. (2016).

  • Reentry produced by small-scale heterogeneities in a discrete model of cardiac tissue

    S. Alonso, and M. Bär, In Press, J. Phys. Conf. Ser. (2016).

  • Reactive Interstitial and Reparative Fibrosis as Substrates for Cardiac Ectopic Pacemakers and Reentries

    R. Sachetto Oliveira, B. Gouvêa de Barros, J. Moreira Gomes, M. Lobosco, S. Alonso, M. Bär, R. Weber dos Santos, Lecture Notes in Computer Science: Bioinformatics and Biomedical Engineering, 9656, 346-357 (2016).

  • Simulation of heart function

    R. Weber dos Santos, S. Alonso, Elizabeth M. Cherry, and Joakim Sundnes. Biomed. Res. Inter. 2015, 626378 (2015).

  • Simulation of ectopic pacemakers in the heart: multiple ectopic beats generated by reentry inside fibrotic regions

    B. Gouvêa de Barros, R. Weber dos Santos, M. Lobosco, S. Alonso. Biomed. Res. Inter. 2015, 713058 (2015).

  • Reentry and complex fractionated dynamics in a heterogeneous discrete model for cardiac tissue.

    S. Alonso and M. Bär, Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 158101 (2013).

  • Negative tension of scroll wave filaments and turbulence in three-dimensional excitable media and application in cardiac dynamics.

    S. Alonso, M. Bär and A. V. Panfilov, Bull. Math. Biol. 75, 1351-1376 (2013).