Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society
Volume 4 (2000), Issue 3, Pages 201-206
doi:10.1155/S1026022600000194

Synchronization of cardiorhythm by weak external forcing

V. S. Anishchenko,1 A. G. Balanov,1 N. B. Janson,1 N. B. Igosheva,2 and G. V. Bordyugov1

1Department of Physics, Saratov State University, Astrakhanskaya Street 83, Saratov 410026, Russia
2Department of Biology, Saratov State University, Astrakhanskaya Street 83, Saratov 410026, Russia

Received 15 April 1999

Copyright © 2000 V. S. Anishchenko et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

We study the possibility to synchronize cardiorhythm of a human by periodic and aperiodic sequences of light and sound pulses. Aperiodic forcing is defined by variation of RR intervals of another subject. Phase locking between cardiorhythm and weak external forcing is detected on finite time intervals. We observe the 1:1 synchronization for periodic forcing and n:m synchronization for aperiodic one.