When the membrane potential of the axon hillock of a neuron reaches threshold, a rapid change in membrane potential occurs in the form of an action potential. This moving change in membrane potential has three phases. First is depolarization, followed by repolarization and a short period of hyperpolarization.

What occurs after depolarization?

If the after-depolarization reaches threshold, a triggered action potential follows. A triggered action potential may cause further triggered action potentials (triggered automaticity), which may result in sustained tachycardia.

What is delayed after depolarization?

The delayed afterdepolarization (DAD) arises from the resting potential after full repolarization of an action potential and it may reach threshold for activation. … These afterdepolarizations have characteristics that suggest their etiological role in certain arrhythmias found in heart failure.

When do early afterdepolarizations occur?

Early afterdepolarizations occur during late phase 2 or phase 3 and can lead to a salvo of several rapid action potentials or a prolonged series of action potentials. This form of triggered activity is more likely to occur when the action potential duration is increased.

What causes depolarization?

Depolarization is caused by a rapid rise in membrane potential opening of sodium channels in the cellular membrane, resulting in a large influx of sodium ions. Membrane Repolarization results from rapid sodium channel inactivation as well as a large efflux of potassium ions resulting from activated potassium channels.

Is depolarization positive or negative?

Depolarization brings positive charge inside the cells in an activation step, thus changing the membrane potential from a negative value (approximately −60mV) to a positive value (+40mV).

What is ERP in heart?

In electrocardiography, during a cardiac cycle, once an action potential is initiated, there is a period of time that a new action potential cannot be initiated. This is termed the effective refractory period (ERP) of the tissue.

What is meant by repolarization?

: restoration of the difference in charge between the inside and outside of the cell membrane following depolarization.

What are EADs in cardiology?

Early afterdepolarizations (EADs) are secondary voltage depolarizations during the repolarizing phase of the action potential, which can cause lethal cardiac arrhythmias.

What is an action potential?

The action potential is an explosion of electrical activity that is created by a depolarizing current. This means that some event (a stimulus) causes the resting potential to move toward 0 mV. When the depolarization reaches about -55 mV a neuron will fire an action potential. This is the threshold.

What is the undershoot of an action potential?

The voltage-gated potassium channels stay open a little longer than needed to bring the membrane back to its resting potential. This results in a phenomenon called “undershoot,” in which the membrane potential briefly dips lower (more negative) than its resting potential.

What are the phases of the cardiac action potential?

Membrane currents that generate the a normal action potential. Resting (4), upstroke (0), early repolarization (1), plateau (2), and final repolarization are the 5 phases of the action potential.

What causes early after depolarization?

Early afterdepolarizations (EADs) occur with abnormal depolarization during phase 2 or phase 3, and are caused by an increase in the frequency of abortive action potentials before normal repolarization is completed.

How do I know what type of arrhythmia I have?

Some tests that may be done to confirm the presence of an irregular heart rhythm include:

  1. Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG): A picture of the electrical impulses traveling through the heart muscle. …
  2. Ambulatory monitors, such as:
  3. Stress test: A test used to record arrhythmias that start or are worsened with exercise.

What is a triggered arrhythmia?

Triggered activity is a term used to describe impulse initiation in cardiac fibers that is dependent on afterdepolarizations 2. Afterdepolarizations are oscillations in membrane potential that follow the upstroke of an action potential. Two kinds of afterdepolarizations may cause triggered activity.

What is the difference between depolarization and repolarization?

The movement of a cell’s membrane potential to a more positive value is referred to as depolarization. The change in membrane potential from a positive to a negative value is referred to as repolarization.

What happens during depolarization and repolarization?

During the depolarization phase, the gated sodium ion channels on the neuron’s membrane suddenly open and allow sodium ions (Na+) present outside the membrane to rush into the cell. … With repolarization, the potassium channels open to allow the potassium ions (K+) to move out of the membrane (efflux).

Does calcium cause depolarization?

When the membrane potential becomes greater than the threshold potential, it causes the opening of Ca+ 2 channels. The calcium ions then rush in, causing depolarization.

What does depolarization mean in ECG?

A wave of depolarization traveling toward a positive electrode results in a positive deflection in the ECG trace. A wave of depolarization traveling away from a positive electrode results in a negative deflection. A wave of repolarization traveling toward a positive electrode results in a negative deflection.

What is depolarization on ECG?

The P wave represents the depolarization of the left and right atrium and also corresponds to atrial contraction. Strictly speaking, the atria contract a split second after the P wave begins. Because it is so small, atrial repolarization is usually not visible on ECG.

Why is repolarization positive on ECG?

T and U waves The T wave represents ventricular repolarization. Generally, the T wave exhibits a positive deflection. The reason for this is that the last cells to depolarize in the ventricles are the first to repolarize.

What is ERP pharmacology?

During phases 0, 1, 2, and part of phase 3, the cell is refractory to the initiation of new action potentials. This is termed the effective refractory period (ERP). … The ERP acts as a protective mechanism in the heart by preventing multiple, compounded action potentials from occurring.

Where does depolarization of the heart begin?

The wave of depolarization begins in the right atrium, and the impulse spreads across the superior portions of both atria and then down through the contractile cells. The contractile cells then begin contraction from the superior to the inferior portions of the atria, efficiently pumping blood into the ventricles.

What is action potential duration?

As usual, let us define the action potential duration (APD) as the amount of time in which the voltage remains elevated above a specified threshold vthr. In experiments, the threshold voltage is chosen anywhere from 70 to 90 percent1 recovery from the peak voltage to the resting voltage.

What happens during repolarization of the heart?

Repolarization (phase 3 of the action potential) occurs because of an increase in potassium permeability. At the SA node, potassium permeability can be further enhanced by vagal stimulation. This has the effect of hyperpolarizing the cell and reducing the rate of firing. Sympathetic stimulation has the opposite effect.

Does repolarization mean relaxation?

When the electrical signal of a depolarization reaches the contractile cells, they contract. When the repolarization signal reaches the myocardial cells, they relax.

What is the process of repolarization?

In physiology, repolarization is the process or act of restoring the polarized condition across the plasma membrane of a cell, e.g. nerve cell. … The membrane potential returns to the resting membrane potential (which is negative value). The process or act of returning to a negative membrane potential is repolarization.

What is EAD and dad?

EADs are abnormal depolarizing oscillations of membrane potential that occur during the plateau or late repolarization of an action potential, while DADs are depolarizing membrane potential oscillations initiated after full repolarization of the triggering action potential (Figure 1).

What does EAD cause?

Early afterdepolarizations (EADs) are an important cause of lethal ventricular arrhythmias in long QT syndromes and heart failure, but the mechanisms by which EADs at the cellular scale cause arrhythmias such as polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (PVT) and Torsades de Pointes (TdP) at the tissue scale are not well- …

What is reverse use dependence?

Reverse use dependence is the effect where the efficacy of the drug is reduced after repeated use of the tissue. This contrasts with (ordinary) use dependence, where the efficacy of the drug is increased after repeated use of the tissue.