SUPR
Neuroimaging-informed Biomechanical Modelling of Traumatic Brain Injury
Dnr:

NAISS 2024/5-86

Type:

NAISS Medium Compute

Principal Investigator:

Zhou Zhou

Affiliation:

Kungliga Tekniska högskolan

Start Date:

2024-02-28

End Date:

2025-03-01

Primary Classification:

20301: Applied Mechanics

Secondary Classification:

20699: Other Medical Engineering

Allocation

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global pandemic affecting 69 million people worldwide each year. TBI is a heterogeneous disease that impairs various intracranial structures with diverse pathological outcomes. Axonal injury, subdural hematoma, and intracerebral haemorrhage have been identified as critical pathologies. However, the causal pathway from the external impact, to the localized tissue straining, and ultimately to the injury onset is unknown, hindering the development of effective prevention solutions. I hypothesize that integrating high-fidelity BIOmechanical modelling with high-resolution BIOimaging deciphers the mechanics of TBI by linking biomechanics with pathology. The main objective is to develop an anatomically detailed biomechanical model with pathology-relevant structures from bioimaging to simulate TBI events, including mouthguard-measured collisions in sports, well-controlled impact experiments, and video-recorded traffic accidents. As a breakthrough, loadings at the pathology-relevant structures will be compared with injury recordings in TBI events to i) identify the mechanisms of axonal injury, ii) enhance the prediction of subdural hematoma, and iii) propose novel injury criteria for intracerebral haemorrhage. Finally, the protective performance of safety equipment will be evaluated accounting for the heterogeneity of TBI. At its completion, this project will deliver a high-resolution, high-fidelity biomechanical head model. New knowledge of injury mechanisms, criteria, and thresholds will be generated for axonal injury, subdural hematoma, and intracerebral haemorrhage. These deliverables will be disseminated to the industry and regulatory bodies to optimize the prevention programmes for TBI in Europe.