Shear Properties of Brain Tissue over a Frequency Range Relevant for Automotive Impact Situations: New Experimental Results

This research aims at improving the definition of the shear linear material properties of brain tissue. A comparison between human and porcine white and gray matter samples was carried out over a new large frequency range associated with both traffic road and non-penetrating ballistic impacts. Oscillatory experiments were performed by using an original custom-designed oscillatory shear testing device. The findings revealed that no significant difference occurred between the linear viscoelastic behavior of the porcine and the human brain tissues. On the average, the storage modulus (G′) and the loss modulus (G″) of the white matter increased respectively from 2.1 ± 0.9 kPa to 16.8 ± 2.0 kPa and from 0.4 ± 0.2 kPa to 18.7 ± 2.3 kPa between 0.1 and 6300 Hz at 37°C. In addition, the gray and white matter behaviors seemed to be similar at small strains. The reliability of the data and the robustness of the experimental protocol were checked using a standard rheometer (Bohlin C-VOR 150). A good agreement was found between the data obtained in the frequency and time field. As a result, the linear relaxation modulus was determined over an extensive time range (from 10⁻⁵ s to 300 s). In a first approach, the nonlinear behavior of brain tissue was studied using stress relaxation tests. Brain tissue showed significant shear softening for strains above 1% and the time relaxation behavior was independent of the applied strain. On this basis, a visco-hyperelastic model was proposed using the generalized Maxwell model and the Ogden hyperelastic model. These models respectively describe the linear relaxation modulus and the strain dependence of the shear stress.