Boundary conditions investigation to improve computer simulation of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics in hydrocephalus patients

Commun Biol. 2021 Mar 23;4(1):394. doi: 10.1038/s42003-021-01920-w.

Abstract

Three-D head geometrical models of eight healthy subjects and 11 hydrocephalus patients were built using their CINE phase-contrast MRI data and used for computer simulations under three different inlet/outlet boundary conditions (BCs). The maximum cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure and the ventricular system volume were more effective and accurate than the other parameters in evaluating the patients' conditions. In constant CSF pressure, the computational patient models were 18.5% more sensitive to CSF volume changes in the ventricular system under BC "C". Pulsatile CSF flow rate diagrams were used for inlet and outlet BCs of BC "C". BC "C" was suggested to evaluate the intracranial compliance of the hydrocephalus patients. The results suggested using the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) method and the fully coupled fluid-structure interaction (FSI) method for the CSF dynamic analysis in patients with external and internal hydrocephalus, respectively.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cerebrospinal Fluid / metabolism*
  • Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hydrocephalus / cerebrospinal fluid*
  • Hydrocephalus / diagnostic imaging
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Numerical Analysis, Computer-Assisted
  • Patient-Specific Modeling*
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Pulsatile Flow
  • Time Factors