A one-dimensional model of atrioventricular nodal conduction.

A computer model of the cardiac conduction process and an integral equation mathematical model have been employed to study the functions of the atrioventricular (AV) node. Special attention has been paid to the dependence of conduction delay on cycle length. The models have been used to evaluate the question as to whether simple cycle length dependences of AV nodal conduction could cause the oscillations of cycle length which are sometimes observed in AV reentry tachycardia. The models consider the AV node as a linear structure in which the depolarisation wavefront radiates in one dimension only. A model representing the node by two parallel linear structures has also been examined. Some results obtained do not conform with those of natural circumstance and clinical experiments, suggesting that the above hypotheses of AV nodal function are too simple and restricted to explain the natural processes.