Computational Models of Cardiac Electrical Activation

Models of cardiac electrical activation have been proposed for over 100 years. While the major components of the cardiac source and volume conductor models have not changed over the years, they have become increasingly complex and more robust. Although modeling of body surface potentials (forward model) and cardiac potentials (inverse model) has been a major topic of research, the clinical utility has yet to be fully realized. Integrated cardiac models with electrical, mechanical, neural, metabolic, circulatory, and genetic inputs are currently being developed. These integrated models are likely to provide new insights into cardiac electrical activation during heart failure and generate new hypotheses about multi-system coupling in the heart. The objective of this chapter is to provide an overview of the history, theory, and clinical use of electrical heart models with applications to heart failure.