Cerebrospinal Fluid Flow Dynamics in the Central Nervous System

Cine-phase-contrast-MRI was used to measure the three-dimensional cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow field inside the central nervous system (CNS) of a healthy subject. Image reconstruction and grid generation tools were then used to develop a three-dimensional fluid-structure interaction model of the CSF flow inside the CNS. The CSF spaces were discretized using the finite-element method and the constitutive equations for fluid and solid motion solved in ADINA-FSI 8.6. Model predictions of CSF velocity magnitude and stroke volume were found to be in excellent agreement with the experimental data. CSF pressure gradients and amplitudes were computed in all regions of the CNS. The computed pressure gradients and amplitudes closely match values obtained clinically. The highest pressure amplitude of 77 Pa was predicted to occur in the lateral ventricles. The pressure gradient between the lateral ventricles and the lumbar region of the spinal canal did not exceed 132 Pa(-1 mmHg) at any time during the cardiac cycle. The pressure wave speed in the spinal canal was predicted and found to agree closely with values previously reported in the literature. Finally, the forward and backward motion of the CSF in the ventricles was visualized, revealing the complex mixing patterns in the CSF spaces. The mathematical model presented in this article is a prerequisite for developing a mechanistic understanding of the relationships among vasculature pulsations, CSF flow, and CSF pressure waves in the CNS.