Axonal tract-integrated finite element brain model for predicting mild traumatic brain injury based on axonal strain

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Neuroscience
• Computational Modeling

Background:

• Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a significant public health concern with unclear injury mechanisms.
• Current finite element (FE) models often lack detailed axonal fiber architecture, limiting understanding of mTBI neuropathology.
• Understanding tract-level brain deformation is crucial for elucidating mTBI's clinical symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an advanced human brain FE model incorporating anatomical axonal fiber tracts.
• To investigate the relationship between head impact kinematics and tract-specific axonal strain.
• To provide biomechanical insights into mTBI mechanisms and improve injury prediction.

Main Methods:

• Developed a novel human brain FE model with embedded axonal fiber tracts from a tractography atlas.
• Validated the model against postmortem human subject head impact data.
• Simulated eight real-world mTBI cases, analyzing axonal strain in specific white matter tracts.

Main Results:

• The advanced FE model demonstrated accurate brain deformation prediction.
• Specific tracts, including the corpus callosum and superior longitudinal fasciculus, showed higher injury metrics.
• Horizontal head rotation was identified as a significant contributor to tract-level injury.

Conclusions:

• The developed FE model offers new biomechanical insights into mTBI-related axonal damage.
• This model advances the understanding of mTBI from a structural and functional connectome perspective.
• The model serves as a foundation for improved mTBI prediction and mechanism elucidation.