Excitable dynamics in neural and cardiac systems.

ABSTRACT

The application of mathematics, physics and engineering to medical research is continuously growing; interactions among these disciplines have become increasingly important and have contributed to an improved understanding of clinical and biological phenomena, with implications for disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment. This special issue presents examples of this synergy, with a particular focus on the investigation of cardiac and neural excitability. This issue includes 24 original research papers and covers a broad range of topics related to the physiological and pathophysiological function of the brain and the heart. Studies span scales from isolated neurons and small networks of neurons to whole-organ dynamics for the brain and from cardiac subcellular domains and cardiomyocytes to one-dimensional tissues for the heart. This preface is part of the Special Issue on "Excitable Dynamics in Neural and Cardiac Systems".