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The Virtual Electrode Hypothesis of Defibrillation

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Cardiac Bioelectric Therapy

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Abstract

Despite significant research efforts of investigators in academia, medicine, and the pharmaceutical industry, no effective pharmacological alternative to defibrillation by electric shock has been developed. Thus, defibrillation has evolved to become the only effective therapy against sudden cardiac death. Highly detailed knowledge of ion channel biophysics and cell signaling cascades has allowed for the development of numerous specific agonists and antagonists, but as of now has failed to deliver safe and effective antiarrhythmic therapy. In contrast to this approach, electrotherapy is steadily improving its efficacy and safety.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of California at Davis, Department of Pharmacology, UC Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA, USA

    Crystal M. Ripplinger

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    Igor R. Efimov

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  1. Crystal M. Ripplinger
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  2. Igor R. Efimov
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Correspondence to Igor R. Efimov .

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  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    Igor R. Efimov

  2. National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK

    Fu Siong Ng

  3. Philips EPD Solutions, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Jacob I. Laughner

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Ripplinger, C.M., Efimov, I.R. (2021). The Virtual Electrode Hypothesis of Defibrillation. In: Efimov, I.R., Ng, F.S., Laughner, J.I. (eds) Cardiac Bioelectric Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63355-4_13

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