Mechanical role of a growing solid tumor on cortical folding

Abstract

Cortical folding, or convolution of the brain, is a vital process in mammals that causes the brain to have a wrinkled appearance. The existence of different types of prenatal solid tumors may alter this complex phenomenon and cause severe brain disorders. Here we interpret the effects of a growing solid tumor on the cortical folding in the fetal brain by virtue of theoretical analyses and computational modeling. The developing fetal brain is modeled as a simple, double-layered, and soft structure with an outer cortex and an inner core, in combination with a circular tumor model imbedded in the structure to investigate the developmental mechanism of cortical convolution. Analytical approaches offer introductory insight into the deformation field and stress distribution of a developing brain. After the onset of instability, analytical approaches fail to capture complex secondary evolution patterns, therefore a series of non-linear finite element simulations are carried out to study the crease formation and the influence from a growing solid tumor inside the structure. Parametric studies show the dependency of the cortical folding pattern on the size, location, and growth speed of a solid tumor in fetal brain. It is noteworthy to mention that there is a critical distance from the cortex/core interface where the growing tumor shows its pronounced effect on the cortical convolution, and that a growing tumor decreases the gyrification index of cortical convolution while its stiffness does not have a profound effect on the gyrification process.