The high frequency of fatal head injuries of elderly people in traffic accidents is one of the important issues in Japan. One of the causes may be vulnerability of the aged brain. While a human head/brain FE model is a useful tool to investigate head injury mechanism, there has not been a research result using a model considering the structural and qualitative changes of the brain by aging. The objective of this study was to clarify the generational difference of intracranial responses related to traumatic brain injuries (TBI) under impact loading.
In this study, the human head/brain FE models in their twenties (20s) and seventies (70s) were used. They were developed by reflecting the age-specific characteristics, such as shape/size and stiffness of brain matter and blood vessels, to the baseline model developed by Global Human Body Models Consortium (GHBMC) LLC. The generational difference of intracranial responses related to TBI, such as cumulative strain damage measure (CSDM), dilatational damage measure (DDM) and elongation of bridging vein (BV), were studied using the models.
From the study of the generational difference of intracranial responses related to TBI, the following were found: 1) CSDM of 70s was 1.05 times greater than that of 20s; 2) DDM of 70s was 0.97 times smaller than that of 20s; 3) Elongation of BV of 70s was 1.04 times greater than that of 20s; and 4) Further investigation is needed, considering both the magnitude of the responses and the tolerance of the tissue when considering the injury risk.