Analysis of a baroreflex model for the study of the chronotropic response to vagal nerve stimulation

This paper describes the integration of computational models of the cardiovascular system, the cardiac electrical activity and the baroreceptor reflex of the autonomic nervous system, with a model representing vagal nerve stimulation (VNS). Sensitivity analyses are performed in order to find the model parameters that produce significant effects on heart rate (chronotropic effect). The most significant parameters are adjusted in order to reproduce real data acquired from sheep suffering from heart failure, during VNS periods. Results show the potential of the model to generate realistic chronotropic responses to VNS.