Morphology of Brain Sulci Trabeculae and its effect on Brain during Impacts
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an intracranial injury caused by direct contact or non-contact head impacts to the brain. TBI is a major problem that accounts for high incidents of hospitalizations each year. Thus, it is important to understand and predict the occurrence of TBI in an impact. It has been shown that the subarachnoid space (SAS) trabeculae play an important role in damping the effect of an impact, thus reducing the injuries. However, the influence of sulci parameters and the sulci trabeculae in TBI due to impact is unexplored. Studies have shown that inclusion of sulci in brain models alters the strain in the brain, however, those models do not take into account the trabecular tissue present in the sulci. In this study, the morphology and architecture of the sulci trabeculae in different regions of the brain was explored. It was revealed that the sulci trabeculae architecture differs from the SAS trabeculae to some extent, and the morphology varies even between different lobes of the brain. The sulci trabeculae have complex morphology with pillar, rods, tree-shapes plates and veil-like structures. In addition, through detailed 3D global and local FE modeling and analyses it was revealed that changes in the depth of the sulci changes the strain distribution in the brain during an impact. It was revealed that with increasing depth, the strain decreases along the sulci.
TBI, Concussion, SEM, Finite Element Modeling, CSF, Biomechanical Engineering, Biomechanics and Biotransport, Computer-Aided Engineering and Design
City University of New York - City College
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