Electrophysiological Mechanisms of Ventricular Fibrillation Induction

Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is known as a main responsible cause of sudden cardiac death which claims thousands of lives each year. Although the mechanism of VF induction has been investigated for over a century, its definite mechanism is still unclear. In the past few decades, the development of new advance technologies has helped investigators to understand how the strong stimulus or the shock induces VF. New hypotheses have been proposed to explain the mechanism of VF induction. This article reviews most commonly proposed hypotheses that are believed to be the mechanism of VF induction.

[1]  S M Dillon,et al.  Optical recordings in the rabbit heart show that defibrillation strength shocks prolong the duration of depolarization and the refractory period. , 1991, Circulation research.

[2]  W. M. Smith,et al.  Effect of field stimulation on cellular repolarization in rabbit myocardium. Implications for reentry induction. , 1992, Circulation research.

[3]  M. Matsuzaki,et al.  Mechanism of atrial fibrillation , 1998 .

[4]  Carl J. Wiggers,et al.  VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION DUE TO SINGLE, LOCALIZED INDUCTION AND CONDENSER SHOCKS APPLIED DURING THE VULNERABLE PHASE OF VENTRICULAR SYSTOLE , 1940 .

[5]  R E Ideker,et al.  Comparison of the defibrillation threshold and the upper limit of ventricular vulnerability. , 1986, Circulation.

[6]  M R Franz,et al.  The vulnerable period for low and high energy T-wave shocks: role of dispersion of repolarisation and effect of d-sotalol. , 1996, Cardiovascular research.

[7]  M. Mansour,et al.  Mother rotors and fibrillatory conduction: a mechanism of atrial fibrillation. , 2002, Cardiovascular research.

[8]  P. Wolf,et al.  Epicardial mapping of ventricular defibrillation with monophasic and biphasic shocks in dogs. , 1993, Circulation research.

[9]  B. Surawicz,et al.  Characteristics and Possible Mechanism of Ventricular Arrhythmia Dependent on the Dispersion of Action Potential Durations , 1983, Circulation.

[10]  T. Sawanobori,et al.  Abnormal Automaticity in Canine Purkinje Fibers Focally Subjected to Low External Concentrations of Calcium , 1972, Circulation research.

[11]  T. Sawanobori,et al.  Mechanism Initiating Ventricular Fibrillation Demonstrated in Cultured Ventricular Muscle Tissue , 1970, Circulation research.

[12]  John J. Tyson,et al.  When Time Breaks Down: The Three‐Dimensional Dynamics of Electrochemical Waves and Cardiac Arrhythmias , 1988 .

[13]  P D Wolf,et al.  Cardiac Potential and Potential Gradient Fields Generated by Single, Combined, and Sequential Shocks During Ventricular Defibrillation , 1992, Circulation.

[14]  J. Anderson,et al.  Comparative effects of beta-adrenergic blocking drugs on experimental ventricular fibrillation threshold. , 1983, The American journal of cardiology.

[15]  P. Wolf,et al.  Stimulus-induced critical point. Mechanism for electrical initiation of reentry in normal canine myocardium. , 1989, The Journal of clinical investigation.

[16]  W. Rheinboldt,et al.  A COMPUTER MODEL OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION. , 1964, American heart journal.

[17]  R E Ideker,et al.  Pacing after shocks stronger than the upper limit of vulnerability: impact on fibrillation induction. , 2000, Circulation.

[18]  Dante R. Chialvo,et al.  Sustained vortex-like waves in normal isolated ventricular muscle. , 1990, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[19]  G. Klein,et al.  Defibrillation shocks produce different effects on Purkinje fibers and ventricular muscle: implications for successful defibrillation, refibrillation and postshock arrhythmia. , 1993, Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

[20]  O. Tovar,et al.  Biphasic defibrillation waveforms reduce shock-induced response duration dispersion between low and high shock intensities. , 1995, Circulation research.

[21]  G. Moe,et al.  Adrenergic Effects on Ventricular Vulnerability , 1964, Circulation research.

[22]  B. Hoffman,et al.  THE PHYSIOLOGICAL BASIS OF CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS. , 1964, The American journal of medicine.

[23]  J Jalife,et al.  Vortex shedding as a precursor of turbulent electrical activity in cardiac muscle. , 1996, Biophysical journal.

[24]  I R Efimov,et al.  Virtual Electrodes and Deexcitation: New Insights into Fibrillation Induction and Defibrillation , 2000, Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology.

[25]  P D Wolf,et al.  Comparison of activation during ventricular fibrillation and following unsuccessful defibrillation shocks in open-chest dogs. , 1990, Circulation research.

[26]  M R Franz,et al.  Shock‐Induced Dispersion of Ventricular Repolarization: , 1997, Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology.

[27]  G. Moe,et al.  Nonuniform Recovery of Excitability in Ventricular Muscle , 1964, Circulation research.

[28]  G. Moe,et al.  Fibrillation Threshold of Premature Ventricular Responses , 1966, Circulation research.

[29]  M R Franz,et al.  Relation between repolarization and refractoriness in the human ventricle: cycle length dependence and effect of procainamide. , 1992, Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

[30]  P. Wolf,et al.  Mechanism of Ventricular Vulnerability to Single Premature Stimuli in Open‐Chest Dogs , 1988, Circulation research.

[31]  M. Franz,et al.  Relation between repolarization and refractoriness during programmed electrical stimulation in the human right ventricle. Implications for ventricular tachycardia induction. , 1995, Circulation.

[32]  R. Ideker,et al.  Epicardial Sock Mapping Following Monophasic and Biphasic Shocks of Equal Voltage with an Endocardial Lead System , 1996, Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology.

[33]  M R Franz,et al.  Myocardial Vulnerability to T Wave Shocks: Relation to Shock Strength, Shock Coupling Interval, and Dispersion of Ventricular Repolarization , 1996, Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology.

[34]  R E Ideker,et al.  Influence of postshock epicardial activation patterns on initiation of ventricular fibrillation by upper limit of vulnerability shocks. , 2000, Circulation.

[35]  G. Moe,et al.  Temporal dispersion of recovery of excitability in atrium and ventricle as a function of heart rate. , 1966, American heart journal.

[36]  P. Wolf,et al.  Influence of shock strength and timing on induction of ventricular arrhythmias in dogs. , 1988, The American journal of physiology.

[37]  R. Ideker,et al.  Basic mechanisms of defibrillation. , 1990, Journal of electrocardiology.

[38]  Left ventricular apex ablation decreases the upper limit of vulnerability. , 2000, Circulation.

[39]  M. Calabresi.  Mechanisms and Therapy of Cardiac Arrhythmias , 1967 .