Phase defects as a new paradigm to understand and control electrical patterns in the heart KU Leuven
The human heart is a prime example of self-organization, as its mechanical contraction is steered by non-linear waves of electrical depolarization that the cardiac muscle cells pass to each other. Abnormal electrical patterns are causing cardiac arrhythmias, which are still a major cause of death worldwide. Many arrhythmias are organized by rotating vortices called rotors, whose dynamics are incompletely understood. In this work, it is shown ...