Simulating Hodgkin-Huxley-like Excitation using Comsol Multiphysics

Abstract: Most simulations concerning electrical activation of human muscles are based on the modeling approach of Hodgkin and Huxley. Calculating the response of a muscle or nerve fiber membrane to an applied electrical field, needs to consider two different potential distributions. On the one hand the "macroscopic", extracellular potential distribution in the tissue surrounding the fiber, and on the other hand the "microscopic", intracellular potential distribution inside the fiber. Knowledge of the potential distributions in both domains is necessary for calculating the development and the propagation of action potentials along the fiber. Consequently, the simulation is based on 2 coupled models: a simplified 1D line model of a muscle fiber and a 2D model of the surrounding thigh