The Role of Glial Cells in the Mechanical Behavior of Brain Tissue: A Mechanobiological Approach

Abstract

According to the available statistics, brain injury and concussion have been the most common causes of death in recent years. Progress in biomechanics has led to the recognition of many of the current limitations and various advantages in diagnosis and treatment planning, especially in surgeries. Evaluation of different characteristics of brain tissue under mechanical loading has led to a better understanding of the mechanisms of traumatic injuries. In this study, we used a microstructural finite element approach to investigate the contribution of the tissue components to the mechanical behavior of white matter. Axons and extracellular matrix (ECM) were assumed as hyperelastic materials, and glial cells connected axons together were depicted via a spring-dashpot model. Dirichlet boundary conditions were applied to the model to evaluate the effect of the presence of glial cells in different tension and compression loading scenarios. The results showed that the presence of glial cells can change the tissue stiffness compared to their absence. Accordingly, it could be suggested that changes in the mechanical properties of injured brain tissue can be attributed to the contribution of glial cells to the mechanical behavior of brain tissue.