ABSTRACT
The heart's memory, interpreted as information residue between a cardiac cycle and the subsequent one, is a very definite phenomenon (short- term memory) both in healthy subjects and in heart transplanted recipients. This "memory effect", we have observed by the autocorrelation and by the spectrum analysis of the values expressing the heartbeat acceleration variability (tachogram 24 h). The "memory effect" cannot be absolutely put down in heart transplanted recipients to interference or to the activity of the central and/or peripheral nervous system, because the heart transplanted is a denervated heart by definition. Moreover, an immediate regulating effect of hormonic factors in the short-term heartbeat regulation is not completely plausible. As already known, the heart transplanted responds to the emergency situation autonomously and autochthonously in proportion to the signals reaching it directly from the circle (vascular resistance, blood pressure, etc.). This implies the existence of functional memory that is likely to be inborn in the conduction system of the heart. Looking at the results of our research we can conclude: "cor se ipse alit, se ipse movet, se ipse reget" (it autonomously models itself to all the different modifications in the circle, it feeds itself as the organ propelling blood circulation and, if necessary, it carries on its kinetic activity autonomously).
