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arXiv · 1811.00832

Poynting effect of brain matter in torsion

Valentina Balbi·Antonia Trotta·Michel Destrade·Aisling Ní Annaidh
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Abstract

We investigate experimentally and model theoretically the mechanical behaviour of brain matter in torsion. Using a strain-controlled rheometer we perform torsion tests on fresh porcine brain samples. We quantify the torque and the normal force required to twist a cylindrical sample at constant twist rate. Data fitting gives a mean value for the shear modulus μ = 900 $\pm$ 312 Pa and for the second Mooney-Rivlin parameter $c_2$ = 297 $\pm$ 189 Pa, indicative of extreme softness. Our results show that brain always displays a positive Poynting effect; in other words, it expands in the direction perpendicular to the plane of twisting. We validate the experiments with Finite Element simulations and show that when a human head experiences a twisting motion in the horizontal plane, the brain can experience large forces in the axial direction.

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Valentina Balbi, Antonia Trotta, Michel Destrade, Aisling Ní Annaidh. 2018-11-02. Poynting effect of brain matter in torsion. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9sm00131j

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