A mechanical model predicts morphological abnormalities in the developing human brain

Budday S, Kuhl E, Raybaud C (2014)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2014

Journal

Scientific Reports Nature Publishing Group: Open Access Journals - Option B

Publisher: Nature Publishing Group: Open Access Journals - Option B

Book Volume: 4

DOI: 10.1038/srep05644

Abstract

The developing human brain remains one of the few unsolved mysteries of science. Advancements in developmental biology, neuroscience, and medical imaging have brought us closer than ever to understand brain development in health and disease. However, the precise role of mechanics throughout this process remains underestimated and poorly understood. Here we show that mechanical stretch plays a crucial role in brain development. Using the nonlinear field theories of mechanics supplemented by the theory of finite growth, we model the human brain as a living system with a morphogenetically growing outer surface and a stretch-driven growing inner core. This approach seamlessly integrates the two popular but competing hypotheses for cortical folding: axonal tension and differential growth. We calibrate our model using magnetic resonance images from very preterm neonates. Our model predicts that deviations in cortical growth and thickness induce morphological abnormalities. Using the gyrification index, the ratio between the total and exposed surface area, we demonstrate that these abnormalities agree with the classical pathologies of lissencephaly and polymicrogyria. Understanding the mechanisms of cortical folding in the developing human brain has direct implications in the diagnostics and treatment of neurological disorders, including epilepsy, schizophrenia, and autism.

Authors with CRIS profile

Silvia Budday Lehrstuhl für Technische Mechanik (LTM)

Involved external institutions

Stanford University US United States (USA) (US) Toronto Metropolitan University / Ryerson University CA Canada (CA)

How to cite

APA:

Budday, S., Kuhl, E., & Raybaud, C. (2014). A mechanical model predicts morphological abnormalities in the developing human brain. Scientific Reports, 4. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep05644

MLA:

Budday, Silvia, Ellen Kuhl, and Charles Raybaud. "A mechanical model predicts morphological abnormalities in the developing human brain." Scientific Reports 4 (2014).

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