Incoprea Theory
Vol. XXVI · 129

Theory 04/Cardiac cycle/Onset phase

Onset Is Pacemaker Drift

The claim

Heart rate is set by the rate of spontaneous depolarisation in the pacemaker, not by autonomic tone alone.

01Mechanism

The cell drifts to threshold at a rate set by its funny current; the rate determines the interval.

02Prediction

Rate should track depolarisation rate.

03Refutation

Rate tracking autonomic input would remove the drift.