Interactions between stable spiral waves with different frequencies in cardiac tissue

Using simulations of inhomogeneous cardiac tissue, we investigated interactions between multiple stable spiral waves of different frequencies. We found that spiral waves with slower frequencies (longer periods) are swept away by the fastest spiral wave. For a system in which two spiral waves with different frequencies are initiated, the rate at which the slower spiral wave is terminated is proportional to the inverse of the frequency difference. This suggests that the conjectured state of multiple stable spiral waves with distinct frequencies cannot exist in cardiac tissue with homogeneous conduction properties. [S1063-651X(99)01702-X].