Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Cardiac Arrhythmias: The Management of Atrial Fibrillation pp 1–16Cite as

Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation and the Autonomic Nervous System

  • Conference paper

  • 72 Accesses

Abstract

The autonomic nervous system has profound influences on cardiac elec-trophysiology (Schwartz et al. 1978; Corr et al. 1986; Schwartz and Priori 1990), and alterations in sympathetic (Schwartz et al. 1978, 1984, 1991, 1992a; Yusuf and Teo 1991) and in vagal (Vanoli et al. 1991; Schwartz et al. 1992 b) activity can either enhance or reduce the risk for ventricular fibrillation. At atrial level, these influences are possibly more complex and certainly not less important.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Allessie MA, Bonke FIM, Schopman FJG (1977) Circus movement in rabbit atrial muscle as a mechanism of tachycardia: III. The “leading circle” concept: a new model of circus movement in cardiac tissue without the involvement of an anatomic obstacle. Circ Res 41:9–18

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Allessie MA, Lammers WJEP, Bonke FIM, Hollen J (1984) Intra-atrial reentry as a mechanism for atrial flutter induced by acetylcholine and rapid pacing in the dog. Circulation 70:123–135

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Allessie MA, Lammers WJEP, Bonke FIM, Hollen J (1985) Experimental evaluation of Moe’s multiple wavelet hypothesis of atrial fibrillation. In: Zipes DP, Jalife J (eds) Cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias. Grune and Stratton, Orlando, pp 265–275

    Google Scholar 

  • Allessie MA, Rensma PL, Brugada J, Smeets JLRM, Penn OC, Kirchhof CJHS (1990) Pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation. In: Zipes DP, Jalife J (eds) Cardiac elec-trophysiology. From cell to bedside. Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 548–559

    Google Scholar 

  • Corr PB, Yamada KA, Witkowski FX (1986) Mechanisms controlling cardiac autonomic function and their relation to arrhythmogenesis. In: Fozzard HA, Haber E, Jennings RB, Katz AM, Morgan HE (eds) The heart and cardiovascular system, vol II. Raven, New York, pp 1343–1403

    Google Scholar 

  • Cosio FG, Palacios J, Vidal JM, Cocina EG, Gomez-Sanches MA, Tamargo L (1983) Elec-trophysiologic studies in atrial fibrillation. Slow conduction of premature impulses: a possible manifestation of the background for reentry. Am J Cardiol 51:122–130

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coumel P (1990) Role of the autonomic nervous system in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. In: Touboul P, Waldo AL (eds) Atrial arrhythmias. Current concepts and management. Mosby Year Book, St. Louis, pp 248–261

    Google Scholar 

  • Coumel P, Leclercq JF (1983) Role of the autonomic nervous system in the genesis of clinical arrhythmias. In: Rosenbaum E (ed) Frontiers of cardiac electrophysiology. Nijhoff, Boston, pp 552–581

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Coumel P et al. (1978) Syndrome d’arythmie auriculaire d’origine vagale. Arch Mal Coeur 71:645–656

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Engel TR, Gonzales Adel C (1978) Effects of digitalis on atrial vulnerability. Am J Cardiol 42:570–576

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Farges JP, Ollagnier M, Faucon G (1977) Influence of acetylcholine, isoproterenol, quinidine and ouabaine on effective refractory periods of atrial and ventricular myocardium in the dog. Arch Int Pharmacodyn 227:206–219

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fischel R (1897) Über Tonusaenderungen und die anderen graphisch an den vier Abteilungen des Saeugethierherzens bei elektrischer Reizung desselben zu ermittelnden Erscheinungen. Arch Exp Pathol Pharmacol 38:228–248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haft JI, Lau SH, Stein E, Kosowsky BD, Damato AN (1968) Atrial fibrillation produced by atrial Stimulation. Circulation 37:70–74

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Knoll PH (1897) Ueer die Wirkungen des Herzvagus bei Warmbluetern. Arch Physiol 67:587–614

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • La Rovere MT, Specchia G, Mortara A, Schwartz PJ (1988) Baroreflex sensitivity, clinical correlates and cardiovascular mortality among patients with a first myocardial infarction. A prospective study. Circulation 78:816–824

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis T (1925) The mechanism and graphic registration of the heart beat, 3rd edn. Shaw, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayer AG (1906) Rhythmical pulsation in scyphomedusae. Carnegie Institution Publication No 47

    Google Scholar 

  • McWilliam JA (1887) Fibrillar contraction of the heart. J Physiol 83:296–310

    Google Scholar 

  • Michelucci A, Padeletti L, Fradella GA (1982) Atrial refractoriness and spontaneous or induced atrial fibrillation. Acta Cardiol 37:333–344

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mines GR (1913) On dynamic equilibrium in the heart. J Physiol 46:349–383

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rensma PL (1987) Atrial arrhythmias and measurement of the wavelength in a chronic dog model. Doctoral thesis, Limburg University, Maastricht

    Google Scholar 

  • Rensma PL, Allessie MA, Lammers WJEP, Bonke FIM, Schalij MJ (1988) Length of excitation wave and susceptibility to reentrant atrial arrhythmias in normal conscious dogs. Circ Res 62:395–410

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenblueth A (1953) The mechanism of auricular flutter and auricular fibrillation. Circulation 7:612–619

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz PJ, Priori SG (1990) Sympathetic nervous system and cardiac arrhytmias. In: Zipes DP, Jalife J (eds) Cardiac electrophysiology. From cell to bedside. Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 330–343

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz PJ, Brown AM, Malliani A, Zanchetti A (eds) (1978) Neural mechanisms in cardiac arrhythmias. Raven, New York, p 442

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz PJ, Billman GE, Stone HL (1984) Autonomie mechanisms in ventricular fibrillation induced by myocardial ischemia during exercise in dogs with a healed myocardial infarction. An experimental preparation for sudden cardiac death. Circulation 69:780–790

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz PJ, Vanoli E, Stramba-Badiale M, De Ferrari GM, Billman GE, Foreman RD (1988) Autonomic mechanisms and sudden death. New insights from the analysis of baroreceptor reflexes in conscious dogs with and without a myocardial infarction. Circulation 78:969–973

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz PJ, Locati E, Moss AJ, Crampton RS, Trazzi R, Ruberti U (1991) Left cardiac sympathetic denervation in the therapy of the congenital long QT syndrome: a world-wide report. Circulation 84:503–511

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz PJ, Motolese M, Pollavini G, Malliani A, Ruberti U, Trazzi R, Bartorelli C, Zan-chetti A, Lotto A, Italian Sudden Death Prevention Group (1992a) Prevention of sudden cardiac death after a first myocardial infarction by pharmacological or surgical an-tiadrenergic interventions. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 3:2–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz PJ, La Rovere MT, Vanoli E (1992b) Autonomie nervous system and sudden cardiac death. Circulation 85 [Suppl I]:177–191

    Google Scholar 

  • Simpson JR, Foster JR, Gettes LS (1982) Atrial excitability and conduction in patients with interatrial conduction defects. Am J Cardiol 50:1331–1337

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smeets JLRM, Allessie MA, Lammers WJEP, Bonke FIM, Hollen J (1986) The wavelength of the cardiac impulse and reentrant arrhythmias in isolated rabbit atrium. Circ Res 58:96–108

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • The Task Force of the Working Group on Arrhythmias of the European Society of Cardiology: Bigger TJ Jr, Breithardt G, Brown AM, Camm AJ, Carmeliet E, Fozzard HA, Hoffman BF, Janse MJ, Lazzara R, Mugelli A, Myerburg RJ, Roden DM, Rosen MR, Schwartz PJ, Strauss HC, Woosley RL, Zaza A (1991) The Sicilian Gambit. A new approach to the classification of antiarrhythmic drugs based on their actions on ar-rhythmogenic mechanisms. Eur Heart J 12:1112-1131; Circulation 84:1831–1851

    Google Scholar 

  • Vanoli E, De Ferrari GM, Stramba-Badiale M, Hull SS Jr, Foreman RD, Schwartz PJ (1991) Vagal stimulation and prevention of sudden death in conscious dogs with a healed myocardial infarction. Circ Res 68:1471–1481

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Watson RM, Josephson ME (1980) Atrial flutter: I. Electrophysiologic substrates and modes of initiation and termination. Am J Cardiol 45:732–741

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wyndham CRC, Amat-Y-Leon F, Wu D, Denes P, Dhingra R, Simpson R, Rosen KM (1977) Effects of cycle length on atrial vulnerability. Circulation 55:260–267

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yamaguchi I, Kurihara T, Maeda H, Sugishita Y (1990) Baroreflex sensitivity of patients with paroxismal atrial fibrillation. Circulation 82 [Suppl III]:III57

    Google Scholar 

  • Yusuf S, Teo KK (1991) Approaches to prevention of sudden death: need for fundamental reevaluation. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2 [Suppl]:S233–S239

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. P. J. Schwartz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Academic Cardiology, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7DN, UK

    Ronald W. F. Campbell

  2. Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Akademisch Medisch Centrum, Meibergdreef 9, NL-1105, AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Michiel J. Janse

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1992 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Schwartz, P.J. (1992). Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation and the Autonomic Nervous System. In: Campbell, R.W.F., Janse, M.J. (eds) Cardiac Arrhythmias: The Management of Atrial Fibrillation. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-30492-1_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-30492-1_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-55588-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-30492-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation