The effects of refractoriness and conduction velocity on spatial organization in a computer model of atrial fibrillation

Activation during atrial fibrillation (AF) is reentrant and a function of the tissue conduction velocity and refractory period distribution. The authors propose that such reentrant behavior imposes a measurable spatial organization on activity during AF, and that the amount of spatial organization is a function of both conduction velocity and refractory period distribution. To test this hypothesis, the authors used the spatial correlation length (L/sub c/), to measure the extent of spatial organization in a cellular automaton computer model of AF (based on the original work of Moe, 1964). The dependence of spatial organization on mean refractory period, conduction velocity and dispersion of refractoriness was examined. It was demonstrated that L/sub c/ increased with increasing mean refractory period and increasing conduction velocity, but decreased with large dispersion of refractoriness.<>