MICRO-WEDGE · Development of a microscopically realistic 3D Computer model of a Ventricular Wall to study microstructure-related mechanisms underlying the formation of post-shock Isoelectric Windows

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Project objective

Several multicenter clinical trials have provided consistent evidence that implantable defibrillation therapy prolongs patient life. This convincing demonstration of the efficacy of defibrillation has led to a nearly exponential growth, over the last decade, in the number of patients receiving implantable devices.The current wide application of defibrillation raises new concerns regarding the safety and optimization of the therapy. Improved understanding of defibrillation mechanisms is therefore imperative to the development of better and safer strategies for prevention of sudden cardiac death.Despite the importance of this therapy, understanding of mechanisms by which electric shocks halt life-threatening arrhythmias remains incomplete. While recent experimental advances have provided new characterizations of tissue responses to shocks, mechanistic inquiry into the success and failure of defibrillation is hampered by the inability of current experimental techniques to resolve, with sufficient accuracy, electrical behaviour confined to the depth of the ventricles.The overall objective of this research is, by employing realistic 3D computer simulations, to bring a new level of understanding of the post-shock events in the heart that lead to the failure of the shock.Current models do not incorporate anatomical micro-heterogeneities, which could play an important role. Specifically, this project proposes to examine, in bidomain models of cardiac micro-structure, mechanisms underlying the isoelectric window", the quiescent period often preceding the first post-shock activation following failed shocks.We hypothesize that the isoelectric window arises from small-scale shock-induced polarization, such as polarization of trabeculae and papillary muscle. Understanding the isoelectric window mechanisms could pave the way to new strategies for extending it indefinitely, and thus converting a failed shock into a successful one."

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

• MEDIZINISCHE UNIVERSITAET GRAZ (MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF GRAZ) · GRAZCoordinatorCity levelAustria
• JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · NEW ORLEANSUnited States

Links

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