Influence of thermoelectric coupling on ectopic beats generated by mechano-electric feedback (MEF) in a one-dimensional cardiac fiber model

The influence of thermal processes on electrophysiology has clearly been underlined by Bini et al., using a FitzHugh--Nagumo-type (FHN-type) model. When the temperature is raised, the action potential duration (APD) has been shown to shorten, while the action potential (AP) amplitude decreases, and the conduction velocity increases. In this research, we investigate the effects of thermoelectric coupling on mechano-electric feedback (MEF), and more specifically, on ectopic beats generated by MEF. To investigate these effects, thermoelectric coupling is introduced in a one-dimensional electromechanical model of a cardiac fiber, which considers excitation-contraction coupling (ECC), as well as MEF.