Objective
Several multicenter clinical trials have provided consistent evidence that implantable defibrillation therapy prolongs patient life. This convincing demonstration of the efficacy of defibrillation has led to a nearly exponential growth, over the last decade, in the number of patients receiving implantable devices.
The current wide application of defibrillation raises new concerns regarding the safety and optimization of the therapy. Improved understanding of defibrillation mechanisms is therefore imperative to the development of better and safer strategies for prevention of sudden cardiac death.
Despite the importance of this therapy, understanding of mechanisms by which electric shocks halt life-threatening arrhythmias remains incomplete. While recent experimental advances have provided new characterizations of tissue responses to shocks, mechanistic inquiry into the success and failure of defibrillation is hampered by the inability of current experimental techniques to resolve, with sufficient accuracy, electrical behaviour confined to the depth of the ventricles.
The overall objective of this research is, by employing realistic 3D computer simulations, to bring a new level of understanding of the post-shock events in the heart that lead to the failure of the shock.
Current models do not incorporate anatomical micro-heterogeneities, which could play an important role. Specifically, this project proposes to examine, in bidomain models of cardiac micro-structure, mechanisms underlying the "isoelectric window", the quiescent period often preceding the first post-shock activation following failed shocks.
We hypothesize that the isoelectric window arises from small-scale shock-induced polarization, such as polarization of trabeculae and papillary muscle. Understanding the isoelectric window mechanisms could pave the way to new strategies for extending it indefinitely, and thus converting a failed shock into a successful one.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine cardiology cardiovascular diseases cardiac arrhythmia
- natural sciences mathematics applied mathematics mathematical model
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP6-2005-MOBILITY-6
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
OIF - Marie Curie actions-Outgoing International Fellowships
Coordinator
GRAZ
Austria
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.