Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune, neuromuscular disease which is known for weakening skeletal muscles, affecting functions such as breathing and moving parts of the body. In skeletal muscle, a rise in intracellular calcium concentration causes the muscles to contract, and a decrease in calcium causes muscles to relax. However, in myasthenia gravis, communication between the nerve and muscle at the neuromuscular junction is disrupted by a transmission error of nerve impulse. Through the use of ordinary differential equations to describe calcium and muscle force in skeletal muscle, which are coupled to end plate potentials at the neuromuscular junction, we model myasthenia gravis and how it affects muscle force generation.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Lungwitz, Claire
• Katoch, Cyra
• Lasnier, Agathe

Subject

• Computing
• Health
• Well-Being

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 52391
• E-project-032122-131350

Keyword

• Ordinary differential equations
• Force generation
• Calcium dynamics
• Skeletal muscle contraction
• Compartment model
• Myasthenia gravis

Advisor

• Olson, Sarah D

Year

• 2022

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• 3 - Good Health and Well-being

Date created

• 2022-03-21

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Mathematical Sciences

Rights statement

• In Copyright

License

• All rights reserved