A Study of Brain Biomechanics Using Hamilton’s Principle: Application to Hydrocephalus

Abstract

Hydrocephalus is a serious neurological disorder characterized by abnormalities in the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the brain. Unfortunately, the response of the patients who have been treated for hydrocephalus continues to be poor and thus better therapy protocols are desperately needed. Mathematical models of CSF dynamics and CSF-brain interactions could play important roles in the design of improved, patient-specific treatments. To capture some of brain's dynamics during the evolution of hydrocephalus we propose a new mathematical model using Hamilton's principle. We assume the existence of current healthy healing and abnormal inflammation states and investigate the relationship between these states using volumetric data of healthy and untreated hydrocephalic mice.