Pressure in the Brain due to Blunt Impacts

What is it about?

This work investigates the mechanism resulting in coup-/contre-coup injuries in the brain following impact to the head, i.e. the peculiar scenario of injury developing both underneath the point of impact, and at the diametrically opposite pole. The investigation was performed using a highly accurate computational model of the head developed from MRI scan data.

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Why is it important?

This work represents a significant advancement in our understanding of brain injury mechanisms and, in particular, highlights the remarkable importance of impactor mass on the observed intra-cranial pressure. We have identified a potentially fatal injury mechanism which occurs only for short duration impact, whereby pressures in the brain become magnified to significantly greater levels than would be expected.