Experimental techniques for investigating cardiac electrical activity and response to electrical stimuli

Author

Knisley, Stephen B. ; Smith, William M.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Biomed. Eng., Alabama Univ., Birmingham, AL, USA

Volume

84

Issue

3

fYear

1996

fDate

3/1/1996 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

417

Lastpage

427

Abstract

One of the goals of experimental research in the areas of cardiac electrical activity and effects of stimulation has been to understand basic physiological responses of the heart to electrical stimulation. It is thought that electrical stimulation produces a distribution of current or an electric field in the heart that alters the transmembrane voltages of heart cells. This leads to changes in states of transmembrane voltage-dependent ionic currents, altered electrophysiological behavior of cells, and finally alteration of the electrophysiological behavior of the heart. The research has employed standard electrophysiological measurement techniques and new techniques that have been developed to study specific effects. This paper discusses some of the techniques

Keywords

bioelectric potentials; biomembrane transport; defibrillators; electrocardiography; basic physiological responses; cardiac electrical activity; cells; current distribution; electric field; electrical stimulation; electrical stimuli; electrophysiological behavior; heart; heart cells; transmembrane voltage-dependent ionic currents; transmembrane voltages; Biomedical measurements; Cells (biology); Electric variables measurement; Electrical stimulation; Electrodes; Electrophysiology; Extracellular; Heart; Myocardium; Voltage;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Proceedings of the IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9219

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/5.486744

Filename

486744