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The effect of physiological and pathological abnormal excitation of a myocyte on the spiral waves is investigated based on the cellular automaton model. When the excitability of the medium is high enough, the physiological abnormal excitation causes the spiral wave to meander irregularly and slowly. When the excitability of the medium is low enough, the physiological abnormal excitation leads to a new stable spiral wave. On the other hand, the pathological abnormal excitation destroys the spiral wave and results in the spatiotemporal chaos, which agrees with the clinical conclusion that the early after depolarization is the pro-arrhythmic mechanism of some anti-arrhythmic drugs. The mechanisms underlying these phenomena are analyzed.

A cellular automaton model for the ventricular myocardium considering the layer structure has been established. The three types of cells in this model differ principally in the repolarization characteristics. For the normal travelling waves in this model, the computer simulation results show the R, S, and T waves and they are qualitatively in agreement with the standard electrocardiograph. Phenomena such as the potential decline of point J and segment ST and the rise of the potential line after the T wave appear when the ischemia occurs in the endocardium. The spiral wave has also been simulated, and the corresponding potential has a lower amplitude, higher frequency, and wider R wave, which accords with the distinguishing feature of the clinical electrocardiograph. Mechanisms underlying the above phenomena are analyzed briefly.

Cellular aging can result in deterioration of electrical coupling, the extension of the action potential duration, and lower excitability of the cell. Those factors are introduced into the Greenberg—Hastings cellular automaton model and the effects of the cellular aging on the dynamics of spiral waves are studied. The numerical results show that a 50% reduction of the coupling strength of aging cells has a little influence on spiral waves. If the coupling strength of aging cells equals zero, the ability for the medium to maintain spiral waves will be reduced by approximately 50% when the aging cell ratio increases from 0 to 0.5, where the reduction of cell excitability plays a major role in inducing disappearance of spiral waves. When the relevant parameters are properly chosen, the cellular aging can lead to the meandering of spiral waves, the emergence of the binary spiral waves, and even the disappearance of spiral waves via the stopping rotation or shrinkage of wave. Physical mechanisms of the above phenomena are analyzed briefly.