Back to results

Washington University in St. Louis

Magnetic Resonance Elastography of the Brain: from Phantom to Mouse to Man

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The overall objective of this study is to develop magnetic resonance elastography: MRE) imaging to better understand brain deformation, brain tissue mechanical properties, and brain-skull interaction in vivo. The findings of this study provide parameters for numerical models of human head biomechanics, as well as data for validation of these models. Numerical simulations offer enormous potential to the study of traumatic brain injury: TBI) and may also contribute to the development of prophylactic devices for high-risk subjects: e.g., military personnel, first-responders, and athletes). Current numerical models have not been adequately parameterized or validated and their predictions remain controversial. This dissertation describes three kinds of MRE experiments, conducted in phantom: physical model), mouse, and man. Phantom studies provide a means to experimentally confirm the accuracy of MRE estimates of viscoelastic parameters in relatively simple materials and geometries. Studies in the mouse provide insight into the dispersive nature of brain tissue mechanical properties at frequencies beyond those that can be measured in humans. Studies in human subjects provide direct measurements of the human brain's response to dynamic extracranial loads, including skull-brain energy transmission and viscoelastic properties.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Level thesis:degree_level
Dissertation
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
Year dc:date.available
2012

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Clayton, Erik
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Philip Bayly

Subjects

dc:subject × 9

Rights

Language dc:language
English (en)

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:openscholarship.wustl.edu:etd-1683

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Washington University in St. Louis
Base URL
openscholarship.wustl.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Clayton, Erik. Magnetic Resonance Elastography of the Brain: from Phantom to Mouse to Man. Dissertation thesis, 2012. https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/etd/684