title: Is stiffness increased during ischemia?
abstract: Possible sources of increased ventricular stiffness can be more easily appreciated when pressure and volume patterns are considered as a function of time. A discussion on sources of effective or apparent stiffness or stiffness changes includes viscoelastic properties and active behavior at the muscular level. Chamber geometry and coronary vascular pressure and flow are intrinsic ventricular components. Together with the pressure head and crosstalk as extraventricular components, all these properties are integrated to determine intact heart behavior in late relaxation and diastole.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology & Medicine, University of Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: S U
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Sys
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Brutsaert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004548:Elasticity; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D009200:Myocardial Contraction