Multiple automatic and nonautomatic stable states in excitable cardiac cells

The authors have used continuation-bifurcation techniques to explore phase transitions between automaticity and nonautomaticity in cardiac pacemaker cells. From the findings, they were able to describe the entire behavior of a single element and to define bistabilities and hysteresis patterns around two Hopf bifurcation points. Computation of attractor basins delineated the topological conditions allowing the cell to pass from one state to another as a result of brief perturbing impulses.<>