Synchronization of triggered waves in atrial tissue

When an atrial cell is paced rapidly calcium (Ca) waves can form on the cell boundary and propagate to the cell interior. These waves are referred to as "triggered waves" since they are initiated by Ca influx from the L-type Ca channel (LCC), and occur during the action potential (AP). However, the consequences of triggered waves in atrial tissue are not known. Here, we develop a phenomenological model of Ca cycling in atrial myocytes that accounts for the formation of triggered waves. Using this model we show that a fundamental requirement for triggered waves to induce abnormal electrical activity in tissue is that these waves must be synchronized over large populations of cells.

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