BioMechCSF : Biomechanical role of the Cerebro-Spinal Fluid – BioMechCSF

hile the protective role of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) during traumatic impact has been emphasized and is now accepted, little is known about the role it plays during the subacute, intermediate and chronic phases of wound. The goal of BioMechCSF is to advance fundamental understanding of the biomechanical role of CSF in post-spinal cord injury (SCI) to the point that characterization of its pulsatility can be used in Virtual Human modeling for diagnosis and treatment. prognosis of SCI patients.
The project's central hypothesis is that CSF pulsatility plays a biomechanical role in the progression of spinal cord injury, as decompression surgery tends to release the spinal cord and restore CSF pulsatility. This hypothesis is twofold: 1) A mechanical action of CSF based on the cilia of contact neurons and ependymal cells occurring in the central canal in mice and in the cistern in humans since the central canal is collapsed 2) A local pressure distribution mechanically impacting the damaged tissues at the level of the lesion. These two hypotheses will be studied both theoretically and experimentally, by developing a pathophysiological modeling of the mechanism triggered by CSF pulsatility, taking into account mechanics and biology, at micro, meso and macroscopic scales.
The three primary goals of BioMechCSF are: 1) To establish evidence for a change in neural activation with CSF pulsation in the normal and injured spinal cord. 2) Fully describe the biomechanical role of CSF pulsation after spinal cord injury through two mechanisms (cilia movement and local mechanical behavior at the injury site). 3) Transfer results, modeling and knowledge to Virtual Human applications.