Rhythms in Physiological Systems

This book is based on invited lectures presented by top experts in the fieldof physiological rhythms. Until now, cardiovascular rhythms, respiratory rhythms, circadian rhythms, rhythms of electrical activity of the brain, rhythms in perception, and motor-coordination of rhythmic movements have always been considered independently. This is the first attempt to demonstrate the pronounced similarities between these phenomena and to identify their interrelations. The contributions shed new light on the origin and coordination of different kinds of rhythms.An important concept proposed here is that of quasi-attractors, according to which the total system remains in some attractor for a while before being pushed out to enter a new attractor, and so on. These attractors are characterized by properties such as mode-locking, free-running modes, and chaotic modes. The striking similarity between the different rhythms suggests that the mechanisms underlying their generation are of similar or even identical nature. The relationship between different rhythms is critically analyzed. It was generally felt by the workshop participants that a unified view of physiological rhythms had been developed for the first time and that this will lead in new directions in the study of complex physiological rhythms.