title: Computational modeling of electromechanical propagation in the helical ventricular anatomy of the heart.
abstract: The classical interpretation of myocardial activation assumes that the myocardium is homogeneous and that the electrical propagation is radial. However, anatomical studies have described a layered anatomical structure resulting from a continuous anatomical helical disposition of the myocardial fibers. To further investigate the sequence of electromechanical propagation based on the helical architecture of the heart, a simplified computational model was designed. This model was then used to test four activation patterns, which were generated by propagating the action potential along the myocardial band from different activation sites.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Resistència de Materials i Estructures a l'Enginyeria, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, BarcelonaTech, Terrassa, Spain. Electronic address: jordi.marce@upc.edu.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marcé-Nogué
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fortuny
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ballester-Rodés
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carreras
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Roure
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D016276:Ventricular Function / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Action potential; Activation; Cardiac mechanics; Electro-mechanical sequence; Fibers; Helical myocardial ventricular band; Myocardium