Mechanical stress related to brain atrophy in Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Introduction: The effects related to endogenous mechanical energy in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology have been widely overlooked. With the support of available data from literature and mathematical arguments, we hypothesize that brain atrophy in AD could be co-driven by the cumulative impact of the pressure within brain tissues.

Methods: Brain volumetric and physical data in AD and normal aging (NA) were extracted from the literature. Average brain shrinkage and axial deformations were evaluated mathematically. Mechanical stress equivalents related to brain shrinkage were calculated using a conservation law derived from fluid and solid mechanics.

Results: Pressure equivalents of 5.92 and 3.43 mm Hg were estimated in AD and in NA, respectively.

Discussion: The calculated increments of brain mechanical stress in AD, which could be impacted by marked dampening of arterial pulse waves, may point to the need to expand the focus on the mechanical processes underpinning pathologic aging of the brain.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Brain atrophy; Brain stiffness; Fluid mechanics; Mechanical stress; Total brain volume.