Computational modeling on intracranial fluid dynamics: cerebrospinal and interstitial fluids

Abstract

The intracranial region is filled in various kinds of fluids such as blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and interstitial fluid. It is commonly known that these fluids always satisfy a mechanical equilibrium state, however little is known about underlying mechanism to maintain this equilibrium state as a homeostasis. Recent experimental studies have revealed details of intracranial fluid circulation with exchanges among fluids. These findings potentially update conventional understanding of the physiological mechanism of the intracranial fluid circulation. As a tool to integrate and interpret these recent findings from mechanical viewpoint, we have begun to develop a computational mechanical model of the intracranial fluid circulation. This presentation introduces perspectives of the computational model to be developed and a personalized computational framework of the cerebrospinal fluid flow, as the first step.