The effect of electroporation on the strength-interval curve during unipolar stimulation of cardiac tissue

Abstract

The authors' purpose is to study the effect of electroporation on the strength-interval curve in cardiac tissue. In their numerical simulations, the electrical properties of a 3-dimensional volume of tissue are represented using the bidomain model with unequal anisotropy ratios, and the membrane is represented using the Beeler-Reuter model. The main effect of electroporation is to modify the anode break section of the strength-interval curve. Electroporation supplies a source of depolarization following the end of an anodal current pulse, which adds to the diffusion of depolarization from the nearby virtual cathodes. The electroporation mechanism by itself supports anode break stimulation in tissue having equal anisotropy ratios.