title: Vagal entrainment of heart rate is simulated by an integrator with feedback.
abstract: Paradoxical stable entrainment of heart rate to inhibitory vagal impulses can be simulated with two distinct mathematical models; a complex ionic current model of sinoatrial node pacemaker activity, as well as a simple integrator with non-linear feedback. We show that both models exhibit similar entrainment characteristics to repetitive vagal stimuli. By applying a sharp disturbance to each model whilst entrained, the subsequent path of cycle length recovery can be described by dynamic phase response curves and phase-phase plots, the properties of which dictate whether stable entrainment is possible.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Systems Laboratory, School of Electrical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bath
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Cloherty
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dokos
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Celler
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Lovell
mesh_terms: D005246:Feedback; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D012849:Sinoatrial Node / Q000502:physiology; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology*