Heartbeats are considered to arise through specialised pacemaker cells establishing rhythmically generated (i.e. pacemaker) action potentials, which then trigger propagating action potentials in heart muscle causing contraction and pumping of blood. This research proposal aims to challenge the physical model that is used to describe this pacemaker process and resultant heart conduction. Our reasons for doing this derive from our discovery of an alternative pacemaker-conduction mechanism, which w ....Heartbeats are considered to arise through specialised pacemaker cells establishing rhythmically generated (i.e. pacemaker) action potentials, which then trigger propagating action potentials in heart muscle causing contraction and pumping of blood. This research proposal aims to challenge the physical model that is used to describe this pacemaker process and resultant heart conduction. Our reasons for doing this derive from our discovery of an alternative pacemaker-conduction mechanism, which we have shown to operate in various smooth muscles. This mechanism, termed store-based pacemaking, is entirely different to the currently held cardiac model but could readily achieve the same outcome. We will investigate the hypotheses that this pacemaker mechanism is also fundamental to mammalian heart pacemaking and conduction. Positive support for our hypotheses, as indicated by our findings on amphibian hearts and from pilot findings, may severely challenge the present model for cardiac pacemaking. Such an outcome will have major ramifications on present interpretation of cardiac function in health and disease and will be particularly important to interpretation of disorders associated with cardiac arrhythmias and heart conduction.Read moreRead less
Investigations Of Mechanisms Underlying Autonomic Cardiovascular Regulation In Medial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$311,860.00
Summary
People with epilepsy often show disturbed cardiovascular function which may increase mortality risk. This may reflect seizure related disturbances in the autonomic circuitry regulation of the cardiovascular system. We apply advanced brain imaging analysis of altered neural structure, circuit connectivity and function within medial temporal lobe and mid brain, combined with clinical assessment of autonomic function to provide important new insights into cardiac disturbances in epilepsy.