Computational model of the cerebral ventricles in hydrocephalus.

Understanding the mechanisms of tissue injury in hydrocephalus is important to shed light on the pathophysiology of this neurostructural disorder. To date, most of the finite element models created to study hydrocephalus have been two-dimensional (2D). This may not be adequate as the geometry of the cerebral ventricles is unique. In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) finite element model of the cerebral ventricles during hydrocephalus is presented. Results from this model show that during hydrocephalus, the periventricular regions experience the highest stress, and stress magnitude is approximately 80 times higher than the cerebral mantle. This suggests that functional deficits observed in hydrocephalic patients could therefore be more related to the damage to periventricular white matter. In addition, the stress field simulated in the tissues based on the 3D model was found to be approximately four times lower than on the 2D model.