3D models of blood flow in the cerebral vasculature

Abstract 

The circle of Willis (CoW) is a ring-like arterial structure located in the base of the brain and is responsible for the distribution of oxygenated blood throughout the cerebral mass. To investigate the effects of the complex 3D geometry and anatomical variability of the CoW on the cerebral hemodynamics, a technique for generating physiologically accurate models of the CoW has been created using a combination of magnetic resonance data and computer-aided design software. A mathematical model of the body's cerebral autoregulation mechanism has been developed and numerous computational fluid dynamics simulations performed to model the hemodynamics in response to changes in afferent blood pressure. Three pathological conditions were explored, namely a complete CoW, a fetal P1 and a missing A1. The methodology of the cerebral hemodynamic modelling is proposed with the potential for future clinical application in mind, as a diagnostic tool.

Keywords: Computational fluid dynamics, Circle of Willis, Cerebral autoregulation, Cerebral hemodynamics, Numerical models