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A hydroelastic model of hydrocephalus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 September 2005

ALAN SMILLIE
Affiliation:
Computing Laboratory, Wolfson Building, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QD, UK Present address: Imperial College, London 5W72AZ, UK.
IAN SOBEY
Affiliation:
Computing Laboratory, Wolfson Building, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QD, UK
ZOLTAN MOLNAR
Affiliation:
Department of Human Anatomy, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK

Abstract

We combine elements of poroelasticity and of fluid mechanics to construct a mathematical model of the human brain and ventricular system. The model is used to study hydrocephalus, a pathological condition in which the normal flow of the cerebrospinal fluid is disturbed, causing the brain to become deformed. Our model extends recent work in this area by including flow through the aqueduct, by incorporating boundary conditions that we believe accurately represent the anatomy of the brain and by including time dependence. This enables us to construct a quantitative model of the onset, development and treatment of this condition. We formulate and solve the governing equations and boundary conditions for this model and give results that are relevant to clinical observations.

Type
Papers
Copyright
© 2005 Cambridge University Press

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