Biomechanics of Brain Tissue (Simulation of Cerebrospinal Fluid Flow)

Abstract

The brain consists of brain tissue, blood and extracellular fluid. We can thus consider that brain tissue has multi-phasic properties. There is a very important interrelation between the tissue and the fluid. Thus, we consider that the respective factors on brain neurosurgery, the distribution of brain tissue pressure and extracellular fluid flow are very important, and we cannot neglect those factors closely related to metabolism of the brain tissue. This study constructs a two-dimensional consolidation model of the brain using the finite element method (FEM) and simulates the flow and distribution of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The two dominant equations on the consolidation theory are approximated numerically in time by the finite difference method and in space by the FEM. The results obtained by computer simulation regarding brain edema using the FEM are compared with the pathological observation with regrad to the flux distribution and flow direction of CSF, and we conclude that they are much the same as those from the view point of the pathological and clinical surgery. We furthermore propose that we should take the boundary conditions of pressure of the subarchanoid space and ventricle into consideration in the simulation of brain edema. © 1992, The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers. All rights reserved.