Some Topics from Continuum Mechanics Related to Brain Neuro-mechanics

A number of topics from continuum mechanics are presented that are useful in developing mathematical models of brain neuromechanics. Part I reviews basic concepts used to describe deformation or distortion of brain tissue, strains, stresses, their connection and material stiffness. Part II presents concepts from viscoelasticity used to describe the time dependent response of brain tissue such as stress relaxation, creep, response to sinusoidal loading, energy dissipation, characteristic response times and their alteration due to non-mechanical influences. Part III describes recent modeling approaches that can be used to describe microstructural changes in materials due to large deformation, disease or other non-mechanical sources.