Integrative computational models of cardiac arrhythmias -- simulating the structurally realistic heart

Drug Discov Today Dis Models. 2009 Fall;6(3):85-91. doi: 10.1016/j.ddmod.2009.08.001.

Abstract

Simulation of cardiac electrical function, and specifically, simulation aimed at understanding the mechanisms of cardiac rhythm disorders, represents an example of a successful integrative multiscale modeling approach, uncovering emergent behavior at the successive scales in the hierarchy of structural complexity. The goal of this article is to present a review of the integrative multiscale models of realistic ventricular structure used in the quest to understand and treat ventricular arrhythmias. It concludes with the new advances in image-based modeling of the heart and the promise it holds for the development of individualized models of ventricular function in health and disease.