Modeling the extracellular potential generated by a muscle fiber as the output signal of a convolutional system

Consultable a partir de

2025-09-01

Date

2024-09-01

Director

Publisher

American Physiological Society
Acceso embargado / Sarbidea bahitua dago
Artículo / Artikulua
Versión publicada / Argitaratu den bertsioa

Project identifier

  • AEI/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2021-2023/PID2022-136620OB-I00/ES/ recolecta
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Abstract

A central topic in Bioelectricity is the generation of the extracellular potential that results from the propagation of a transmembrane action potential along the muscle fiber. However, the way in which the extracellular potential is determined by the propagating action potential is difficult to describe, conceptualize, and visualize. Moreover, traditional quantitative approaches aimed at modeling extracellular potentials involve complex mathematical formulations, which do not allow students to visualize how the extracellular potential is generated around the active fiber. The present study is aimed at presenting a novel pedagogical approach to teaching the generation of extracellular potentials produced by muscle fibers based on the convolution operation. The effectiveness of this convolutional model was tested using a written exam and a satisfaction survey. Most students reported that a great advantage of this model was that it simplifies the problem by dividing it into three distinct components: 1) the input signal (associated with the action potential), 2) the impulse response (linked to the system formed by the fiber and the recording electrode), and 3) the output signal (the extracellular potential). Another key aspect of the present approach was that the input signal was represented by a sequence of electric dipoles, which allowed students to visualize the individual contribution of each dipole to the resulting extracellular potential. The results of the survey indicate that the combination of basic principles of electrical fields and intuitive graphical representations largely improves students' understanding of Bioelectricity concepts and enhances their motivation to complete their studies of biomedical engineering.

Description

Keywords

Convolutional model, Excitation source, Extracellular potential, Impulse response, Muscle fiber

Department

Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación / Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoa eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritza / Institute of Smart Cities - ISC

Faculty/School

Degree

Doctorate program

item.page.cita

Rodriguez-Falces, J. (2024). Modeling the extracellular potential generated by a muscle fiber as the output signal of a convolutional system. Advances in Physiology Education, 48(3), 455-464. https://doi.org/10.1152/ADVAN.00238.2023.

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© 2024 the American Physiological Society.

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