Simple vs Complex Models of the Coronary Circulation—The Tradeoffs

Summary

Mathematical models of biological systems are useful in testing hypotheses, synthesizing a variety of data, and evaluating the effect of interventions on model parameters. A number of models of the coronary circulation have been published in recent years, motivated by increased interest in the dynamics of coronary blood flow. The number of circuit elements ranges from 4–60. This paper discusses the relative advantages of simple and complex models. Simple models permit parameter identification using optimization techniques and thus can be used to measure the effect of interventions on model parameters. They are not able to describe more detailed features of coronary flow such as transmural flow variations, and unique anatomic interpretation of model parameters is not always possible. More complex models provide a more precise anatomic interpretation of parameters and a more detailed description of flow. In these models it is generally necessary to estimate model parameters from a variety of sources, and different combinations of model parameters may provide an equally good fit to the data. The best choice of model depends on the objective of a particular study.