Sumários

Physiological Complexity, System Dynamics and Feedback Mechanisms

22 Setembro 2026, 10:00 • Rafael Neto Henriques

1. Physiological Complexity: The first part of the lecture explored the inherent complexity of physiological systems through five key attributes: the high number of system elements, their intricate interconnectivity, nonlinear relationships, developmental asymmetries, and nonholonomic constraints that enable local regulation.

2. System Dynamics: The second part introduced simple models to represent the dynamics of single-state variable systems, focusing on their differential equations and analytical solutions. This was followed by a hands-on exercise demonstrating how these basic units can be combined to represent more complex physiological structures.

3. Feedback Mechanisms: The final segment examined feedback mechanisms, beginning with causal feedback loops in two-state variable systems where mutual causality ensures regulation. Examples of both positive and negative feedback loops were discussed. The lecture then explored inherent feedback, illustrating how regulatory effects can naturally embed within the differential equations of single-state systems, even without explicit physical feedback links. Bolie’s baseline model of the glucose-insulin system was used to illustrate how different feedback mechanisms are applied in practice, concluding with a breakdown of proportional, integral, and derivative feedback.

Modelação e Simulação em Medicina

Sumários

Physiological Complexity, System Dynamics and Feedback Mechanisms

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Motivation and Presentation of the Curricular Unit