Topological features dictate the mechanics of the mammalian brains

• Published in: International journal of mechanical sciences Vol. 187; p. 105914
• Main Authors: Sáez, P., Duñó, C., Sun, L.Y., Antonovaite, N., Malvè, M., Tost, D., Goriely, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-12-2020
• Subjects: Animal-scale laws; Brain mechanics; Brain shape; Finite element method; Finite element method; Brain mechanics; Animal-scale laws; Brain shape
• ISSN: 0020-7403; 1879-2162
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmecsci.2020.105914

•The topology of the brain from different species are key to understand brain mechanics.•We use computational models to understand the role of these brain topological features.•The topological diversity in brain models is more important than differences in tissue mechanics.•Topological differences also modify spatial distribution of mechanical variables.•The folding of mammalian brains act as a damping system to reduce mechanical damage in large-mass brain mammals.•A detailed geometric model is key to generate accurate mechanical predictions.
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Understanding brain mechanics is crucial in the study of pathologies involving brain deformations such as tumor, strokes, or in traumatic brain injury. Apart from the intrinsic mechanical properties of the brain tissue, the topology and geometry of the mammalian brains are particularly important for its mechanical response. We use computational methods in combination with geometric models to understand the role of these features. We find that the geometric quantifiers such as the gyrification index play a fundamental role in the overall mechanical response of the brain. We further demonstrate that topological diversity in brain models is more important than differences in mechanical properties: Topological differences modify not only the stresses and strains in the brain but also its spatial distribution. Therefore, computational brain models should always include detailed geometric information to generate accurate mechanical predictions. These results suggest that mammalian brain gyrification acts as a damping system to reduce mechanical damage in large-mass brain mammals. Our results are relevant in several areas of science and engineering related to brain mechanics, including the study of tumor growth, the understanding of brain folding, and the analysis of traumatic brain injuries.