Scientists have developed a new method for measuring the physical properties of the human brain to better understand how it moves during surgery.
The first-of-its-kind study applied data from MRI scans of real-life brain motion to a novel computational model to reveal the biomechanics behind a process known as brain shift.
Caused by changes in head position, brain shift describes shape changes and tiny movements of less than 1mm the brain undergoes within the skull.
Understanding this process is vital in stereotactic neurosurgery, where doctors use a combination of 3D coordinates and CT or MRI scan images to precisely locate points in the patient's brain to deliver drugs or implant electrodes.
The team, based at Cardiff University, say their findings could lead to more accurate surgical plans, and better outcomes for patients undergoing brain surgery.
Lead author Dr Nicholas Bennion, a Lecturer at Cardiff University's School of Engineering, said: "Accurately capturing the mechanical properties of human brain tissue can be extremely challenging, often limiting the usefulness of computational models.
"However, it is a vitally important step when attempting to simulate how the brain deforms under different conditions.
