Abstract

Ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) account for 75-80% of sudden cardiac deaths, causing 184,000 to 450,000 deaths annually in the U.S. VAs commonly occur in individuals with structural heart diseases, but idiopathic ventricular tachycardias (VTs) caused by delayed afterdepolarizations (DADs), early afterdepolarizations (EADs) and triggered activity, can also arise due to calcium ion discrepancies without apparent structural abnormalities. Despite advances in understanding abnormal impulse conduction, there is a paucity of visual aids that explain impulse formation anomalies of VTs. There are no 3D animations that link ECG interpretation to molecular dynamics in the cardiac EC coupling process. Moreover, ECG interpretation skills are lacking among medical professionals, with up to 33% of readings containing errors, leading to incorrect management. This gap could be caused by a lack of visual tools to connect ECG interpretation and arrhythmogenesis mechanisms. A study shows that animations help improve the confidence of medical students in learning cardiac pathology and ECG. Arrhythmias play a key role in the terminal manifestation of cardiovascular disease. Catheter ablation is commonly used to alleviate symptoms, but cardiologists often do not understand the root cause. To address this, Dr. Bruce Lerman has done intensive research on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of DADs/EADs and triggered activity that causes ventricular tachycardia. This 3D infographic animation series—starting with a basic chapter on normal EC coupling and advancing to DADs/EADs and triggered activity—would improve education, enhance ECG interpretation skills, and aid in VTs’ diagnoses by visualizing the microenvironment in the heart. This promotes public education and further research.

Publication Date

4-29-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Medical Illustration(MFA)

Department, Program, or Center

Medical Illustration

College

College of Health Sciences and Technology

Advisor

James Perkins

Advisor/Committee Member

Craig Foster

Advisor/Committee Member

Bruce Lerman

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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