Is the normal heartbeat chaotic or homeostatic?


Author: A L Goldberger1

Affiliation: <sup>1</sup> Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215.

<sup>2</sup> Harvard Med Sch, Boston, Cardiovascular Div
Conference/Journal: News Physiol Sci
Date published: 1991 Apr 1
Other:
 Volume ID: 6   ,  Pages: 87-91   ,  Special Notes: doi: 10.1152/physiologyonline.1991.6.2.87.   ,  Word Count: 54  
    Limits to the usefulness of homeostasis as a guiding physiological principle are revealed by new mechanisms derived from study of nonlinear systems that generate a type of variability called chaos. Loss of complex physiological variability may occur in certain pathological conditions including heart rate dynamics before sudden death and with aging.





PMID: 11537649 DOI: 10.1152/physiologyonline.1991.6.2.87