Biomechanics of Brain Tissue : Simulation of Cerebrospinal Fluid Flow

抄録

The brain consists of brain tissue, blood and extracellular fluid. Brain tissue has multiphasic properties, and there is a very important interrelation between the tissue and the fluid. Moreover, we cannot neglect those factors closely related to the metabolism of the brain tissue. In this study we construct a two-dimensional consolidation model of the brain using the finite-element method (FEM) and simulate the flow and distribution of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The two governing equations of the consolidation theory are approximated numerically in time by the finite difference method and in space by FEM. The results are compared with the pathological observation with regard to the flux distribution and flow direction of CSF, and we conclude that they are similar from the viewpoint of pathology and clinical surgery. Furthermore, we propose that the boundary conditions of pressure of the subarachnoid space and ventricle should be taken into consideration in the simulation of brain edema.