Non-linear model of electrical activity in the intestine

We have created a new non-linear computer model to simulate electrical activity of the intestine. Unlike the widely used model by Sarna et al., who used a modified set of Van der Pol oscillators to simulate activity the of gastrointestinal (GI) tract, our model assumes a more realistic approach which involves (i) a description of electrical coupling between cells, and (ii) a description of the two interacting layers of longitudinal muscle (LM) and interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC). The dynamics in each layer are described by a pair of differential equations with variables representing the transmembrane potential and slow currents; the two equations describe the dynamics of the nonlinear membrane in the same spirit as the FitzHugh-Nagumo equations.