Dissertation Defense: Quantifying Relative Surface Level Brain Motion in Postmortem Human Subjects Using High-Frequency B-Mode Ultrasound

Angela Tesny

Abstract: Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of bleeding head injury, especially in the elderly population. Acute subdural hematomas (ASDH) are particularly lethal, and the increased frequency of ASDH with age has been attributed to the rupture of bridging veins. This necessitates a better understanding of the relationship between rotational kinematics and bridging vein failure. The increased atrophy in the elderly population compared to their younger counterparts results in an initial strain on the bridging veins, suggesting one of the reasons why elderly crash occupants are more susceptible to ASDH from bridging vein failure. Previous studies have quantified whole brain motion, but motion at the surface has not yet been quantified which is essential for improving the accuracy of finite element (FE) head models. The objective of this dissertation is to provide experimental brain displacement data at the surface of the brain to contribute to further validation of FE head models and aid in the investigation of the relationship between head kinematics and brain displacement that could result in an ASDH in the elderly.