Integrative computational models of cardiac arrhythmias – simulating the structurally realistic heart

Simulation of cardiac electrical function, and specifically, simulation aimed at understanding the mechanisms of cardiac rhythm disorders, represents an example of a successful integrative multiscale modeling approach, uncovering emergent behavior at the successive scales in the hierarchy of structural complexity. The goal of this article is to present a review of the integrative multiscale models of realistic ventricular structure used in the quest to understand and treat ventricular arrhythmias. It concludes with the new advances in image-based modeling of the heart and the promise it holds for the development of individualized models of ventricular function in health and disease.

Section editors:Colleen E. Clancy – Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616-8636, USAFadi G. Akar – Cardiovascular Institute, Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA