CONTINUED RESEARCH ON THE GENESIS OF ACTION POTENTIALS AND EXCITABLE TISSUES.
Abstract
The electrohydraulic excitability theory, previously applied to a biophysical analysis of the mechano-receptors, has now been used for a corresponding analyses of the normal and pathological heart rhythmicity. The basic concept has been the assumption of a coupling between the electric and mechanical events of the heart pacemakers (i.e. a system of coupled oscillators with possibilities of delayed current and/or pressure feed backs). The importance of a 'quiescent zone' has been stressed. The existence of this zone may explain sudden failure of the rhythmical heart beating ('annihilation') and also the possibility of 'initiation' of rhythmicity of a quiescent heart. Under certain conditions of feed back ('reentry') of electrical and mechanical factors can induce a severe rhythm disturbance similar to 'fibrillation' observed in clinical medicine. The 'vulnerable zone' of the heart cycle, discussed in the clinical literature, can be satisfactorily explained as closely related to the concept of a 'quiescent zone', defined in terms of the proposed, new excitability theory. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1969
- Accession Number
- AD0692893
Entities
People
- Torsten Teorell
Organizations
- Uppsala University