Biofidelic white matter heterogeneity decreases computational model predictions of white matter strains during rapid head rotations. Issue 15 (17th November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Maltese, Matthew R.; Margulies, Susan S.
• Is Part Of: Computer methods in biomechanics and biomedical engineering. Volume 19:Issue 15(2016)
• Page Start: 1618
• Page End: 1629
• Publication Date: 2016-11-17
• Subjects: Biomechanics -- traumatic brain injury -- computational model; Biomechanics -- Data processing -- Periodicals; Biomedical engineering -- Periodicals; Biomechanics -- Periodicals; Biomedical Engineering -- methods -- Periodicals; Computing Methodologies -- Periodicals; 612.7
• DOI: 10.1080/10255842.2016.1176153
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1025-5842

Abstract

Abstract: The finite element (FE) brain model is used increasingly as a design tool for developing technology to mitigate traumatic brain injury. We developed an ultra high-definition FE brain model (>4 million elements) from CT and MRI scans of a 2-month-old pre-adolescent piglet brain, and simulated rapid head rotations. Strain distributions in the thalamus, coronal radiata, corpus callosum, cerebral cortex gray matter, brainstem and cerebellum were evaluated to determine the influence of employing homogeneous brain moduli, or distinct experimentally derived gray and white matter property representations, where some white matter regions are stiffer and others less stiff than gray matter. We find that constitutive heterogeneity significantly lowers white matter deformations in all regions compared with homogeneous properties, and should be incorporated in FE model injury prediction.