Intracranial pressure transients caused by head impacts

Young, P. G.<sup>1</sup>; Morfey, C. L.<sup>2</sup>

Affiliations

¹School of Engineering University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, UK

²Institute of Sound and Vibration Research University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, UK

Abstract

It has been hypothesised that short duration negative pressure pulses in the brain, caused by blunt impacts, can reach sufficient magnitude to cause cavitation in blood vessels and could explain the appearance of contusions, observed in many cases, at the pole opposite to impact (centre-coup injury). A finite element model of pressure wave propagation in the brain was developed in order to numerically explore the peak pressures arising from an applied force time history. The sensitivity of the pressure response in the brain to changes in material and geometrical properties of the skull and brain as well as to changes in the applied force time history was extensively explored using the model.

Cited Works (1)

Year	Entry
1993	Sauren AAHJ, Claessens MHA. Finite element modeling of head impact: the second decade. In: Proceedings of the 1993 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 8-10, 1993; Eindhoven, The Netherlands.241-254.

Cited By (3)

Year	Entry
2002	Brands DWA, Bovendeerd PHM, Wismans JSHM. On the potential importance of non-linear viscoelastic material modelling for numerical prediction of brain tissue response: test and application. Stapp Car Crash J. 2002;46:103-121. SAE 2002-22-0006.
2002	Brands DWA. Predicting Brain Mechanics During Closed Head Impact: Numerical and Constitutive Aspects [PhD thesis]. Eindhoven, The Netherlands: Technische Universiteit Eindhoven; March 14, 2002.
2023	Chauvet RJ. Development of a Detailed Finite Element Model of the BIPED and Verification of Fidelity in Two Cases of Blunt Impact [Master's thesis]. Edmonton, AB: University of Alberta; 2023.