Analysis of a cardiovascular model for the study of the autonomic response of Brugada syndrome patients.

ABSTRACT

This paper describes the integration of mathematical models of the cardiac electrical activity, the cardiovascular system and the baroreceptor reflex control of the autonomic nervous system, with a model representing a head-up tilt test. Sensitivity analyses are performed in order to determine those model parameters producing the greatest significant effects on heart rate and blood pressure. An optimization step is then applied to the most influential parameters in order to find the best model fit to real cardiac data obtained from a patient suffering from Brugada syndrome and a healthy subject, in supine and upright postures during a tilt test. Results show the feasibility of the model to generate realistic autonomic responses to head-up tilt testing in health and disease.