Interval-Force Relationship Of The Heart, The

Description: Originally published in 1992, this volume looks in detail at the important relationship, initially studied in 1871 by Bowditch, between the strength of the heartbeat and the interval between beats. The book draws together the work and experience of leading international research workers in this field. Collectively, the contributors illuminated the underlying mechanisms involved, their expression in both isolated muscle and the intact heart, and speculate on further avenues of research. The volume will be of interest to cardiologists, physiologists and all those concerned with the function of the heart.

Contents: Contributors; Introduction; Part I: 1. On the peculiarities of excitability which the fibres of the cardiac muscle show translated by J. Schaefer, W. Deppert, R. K. Lie, B. Lohff, M. I. M. Noble with a historical note H. P. Bowditch; Part II. The General Process: 2. The interval-strength relationship of cardiac muscle: past, present, and future D. G. Allen; 3. A model for interval-force phenomena: unresolved issues I. C. Cooper and M. I. M. Noble; Part III. Cellular Processes Underlying Interval-Force Behaviour and their Control: 4. Relationships between intracellular free calcium and force with changes of interval D. T. Yue; 5. The role of intracellular calcium, sodium, and pH in rate-dependent changes of cardiac contractile force M. R. Boyett, J. E. Frampton, S. M. Harrison, M. S. Kirby, A. J. Levi, E. McCall, D. R. Milner and C. H. Orchard; 6. Quantitative aspects of cellular calcium regulation during post-rest stimulation in cardiac muscle: implications for steady-state conditions B. Lewartowski; 7. Calcium compartmentation and contractive function of the heart G. A. Langer; Part IV. The expression of interval-force phenomena in cardiac muscle: 8. Myocardial excitation and contraction: factors influencing peak force B. Wohlfart, P. Arlock and S. E. J. N. Morner; 9. Mechanical restitution in cardiac muscle M. Johannsson; 10. Post-rest potentiation and its decay U. Ravens; 11. Post-extrasystolic potentiation and its decay H. E. D. J. ter Keurs; 12. The cellular basis of pulsus alternans M. J. Lab and C. I. Spencer; 13. Applicability of myocardial interval-force relationships to the whole ventricle: studies in isolated perfused hearts D. Burkhoff and W. C. Hunter; 14. Interval-force effects in the pulse variation of atrial fibrillation: a statistical approach K. P. Pfeiffer, T. Kenner and S. M. Hardman; 15. Interval-force processes in the intact animal and human heart W. A. Seed; Author index; Subject index.