Blood–brain mechanics: how brain tissue responds to pulsatile blood flow dynamics
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Highly coupled interactions between nonlinear fluids and soft matter are ubiquitous in nature and critical for various applications. A prime example is the blood–brain interaction, where the pulsatile non-Newtonian blood flow deforms the extremely soft and highly nonlinear human brain tissues. Understanding this dynamic is vital, as it can provide critical insights into neurological issues and their underlying mechanisms. However, experimentally investigating these interactions is less feasible due to the limited access to the human brain. Although advanced computational models have been developed to simulate blood flow in the human brain, a comprehensive model that can reconcile the various nonlinear components in a fully coupled framework to capture the specific interactions between the blood flow, vessel movement, and brain tissue dynamics remains elusive.
To explore the mechanisms governing blood–brain interactions, we have developed an innovative finite element model that seamlessly integrates the interactions between non-Newtonian blood flow, hyperelastic blood vessels, and hyper-viscoelastic brain tissue. This model is enhanced by a hyper-viscoelastic model based on compression–relaxation tests of human brain tissues, which can precisely capture their time-dependent nonlinear behaviour. Comprehensive simulations based on this model illustrate how pulsatile blood flow significantly deforms brain tissues under various scenarios. This study not only offers new possibilities for understanding the intimate links between brain function and its biomechanics, but also provides a novel modelling framework to solve complex interactions between nonlinear fluids and soft matter across several other scientific disciplines and fields.
To explore the mechanisms governing blood–brain interactions, we have developed an innovative finite element model that seamlessly integrates the interactions between non-Newtonian blood flow, hyperelastic blood vessels, and hyper-viscoelastic brain tissue. This model is enhanced by a hyper-viscoelastic model based on compression–relaxation tests of human brain tissues, which can precisely capture their time-dependent nonlinear behaviour. Comprehensive simulations based on this model illustrate how pulsatile blood flow significantly deforms brain tissues under various scenarios. This study not only offers new possibilities for understanding the intimate links between brain function and its biomechanics, but also provides a novel modelling framework to solve complex interactions between nonlinear fluids and soft matter across several other scientific disciplines and fields.
Date Issued
2025-06-15
Date Acceptance
2025-04-13
Citation
International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, 2025, 296
ISSN
0020-7403
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Journal / Book Title
International Journal of Mechanical Sciences
Volume
296
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
110278
Date Publish Online
2025-04-25