Development of a Computational Model to Aid Prediction of Neurosurgical Brain Shift

Abstract

Stereotactic procedures are an increasingly common tool for the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders. Common surgeries reliant on a stereotactic reference frame include Deep Brain Stimulation, Stereoelectroencephalography, Stereobiopsy, and high precision intraparenchymal drug delivery. Introduction: Stereotactic neurosurgical procedures are planned and carried out per preoperative medical images in a fixed reference frame. Loss of cerebrospinal fluid and a variety of other factors lead to a displacement of the anatomical target from the stereotactic coordinates, known as brain shift. Aims: To develop a computational model to aid in the understanding and prediction of gravity induced brain shift based on patient repositioning. Methods: The MNI ICBM152 Average Brain Stereotaxic Registration Model was manually segmented and meshed in the Simpleware Scan IP software package. Using FEBio, suitable constitutive models were applied to each region. The model was then loaded to simulate supine-to-prone repositioning. Results: Displacement reached a maximum of approximately 2.4mm, with cortical displacement being concentrated in anterior regions. Conclusions: With good initial results, the future applications of this method appear promising.