FEM 2D analysis of mild traumatic brain injury on a child

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury is one of the most frequent causes of disability amongst children and adolescents. There are cognitive and neurological effects caused by repetitive head injuries. Learning deficiency is likely to be the result of early head injurie. This may impact the ability to control emotions and exhibit inappropriate behaviour. These children have trouble responding to subtle social cues and planning difficult tasks. Concussions can occur whenever there is a collision of the head against a hard object. The aim of this investigation is the modelling, by means of the two-dimensional Finite Element Method, of brain stress in children caused by head injuries. Three impact cases were analyzed: a concentrate left brain side blow, a diffused blow and a frontal head collision. The brain damage is determined by comparing the last resistance of the arteriole and neurone. The mathematical models can be used for protective design and demonstrating the brain damage. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.