A new computational model for quantifying blood flow dynamics across myogenically-active cerebral arterial networks

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Coccarelli, Alberto, Polydoros, Ioannis, Drysdale, Alex, Harraz, Osama F., Kadapa, Chennakesava
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2024
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author Coccarelli, Alberto
Polydoros, Ioannis
Drysdale, Alex
Harraz, Osama F.
Kadapa, Chennakesava
author_facet Coccarelli, Alberto
Polydoros, Ioannis
Drysdale, Alex
Harraz, Osama F.
Kadapa, Chennakesava
contents Cerebral autoregulation plays a key physiological role by limiting blood flow changes in the face of pressure fluctuations. Although the involved cellular processes are mechanically driven, the quantification of haemodynamic forces in in-vivo settings remains extremely difficult and uncertain. In this work, we propose a novel computational framework for evaluating the blood flow dynamics across networks of myogenically active cerebral arteries, which can modulate their muscular tone to stabilize flow (and perfusion pressure) as well as to limit vascular intramural stress. The introduced framework is built on contractile (myogenically active) vascular wall mechanics and blood flow dynamics models, which can be numerically coupled in either a weak or strong way. We investigate the time dependency of the vascular wall response to pressure changes at both single vessel and network levels. The robustness of the model was assessed by considering different types of inlet signals and numerical settings in an idealized vascular network formed by a middle cerebral artery and its three generations. For the vessel size and boundary conditions considered, weak coupling ensured accurate results with a lower computational cost. To complete the analysis, we evaluated the effect of an upstream pressure surge on the haemodynamics of the vascular network. This provided a clear quantitative picture of how pressure and flow are redistributed across each vessel generation upon inlet pressure changes. This work paves the way for future combined experimental-computational studies aiming to decipher cerebral autoregulation.
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id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2411_09046
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A new computational model for quantifying blood flow dynamics across myogenically-active cerebral arterial networks
Coccarelli, Alberto
Polydoros, Ioannis
Drysdale, Alex
Harraz, Osama F.
Kadapa, Chennakesava
Quantitative Methods
Cerebral autoregulation plays a key physiological role by limiting blood flow changes in the face of pressure fluctuations. Although the involved cellular processes are mechanically driven, the quantification of haemodynamic forces in in-vivo settings remains extremely difficult and uncertain. In this work, we propose a novel computational framework for evaluating the blood flow dynamics across networks of myogenically active cerebral arteries, which can modulate their muscular tone to stabilize flow (and perfusion pressure) as well as to limit vascular intramural stress. The introduced framework is built on contractile (myogenically active) vascular wall mechanics and blood flow dynamics models, which can be numerically coupled in either a weak or strong way. We investigate the time dependency of the vascular wall response to pressure changes at both single vessel and network levels. The robustness of the model was assessed by considering different types of inlet signals and numerical settings in an idealized vascular network formed by a middle cerebral artery and its three generations. For the vessel size and boundary conditions considered, weak coupling ensured accurate results with a lower computational cost. To complete the analysis, we evaluated the effect of an upstream pressure surge on the haemodynamics of the vascular network. This provided a clear quantitative picture of how pressure and flow are redistributed across each vessel generation upon inlet pressure changes. This work paves the way for future combined experimental-computational studies aiming to decipher cerebral autoregulation.
title A new computational model for quantifying blood flow dynamics across myogenically-active cerebral arterial networks
topic Quantitative Methods
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.09046