Shear Wave Propagation of the Ferret Brain at Multiple Frequencies In Vivo

Mathematical modeling and computer simulations are widely used for understanding traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, accurate tissue parameters are needed, especially for the brain in vivo. In this study, we used the ferret as the animal model because it is the smallest mammal with a folded brain and significant white matter tracts. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) has proven useful for in vivo measurement of biological tissue properties. Mechanical properties of the ferret brain over a range of frequencies from 400–800 Hz were studied using MRE. Experiment results show both that storage and loss modulus increases with frequency and that dissipative effects in the white matter (characterized by the loss modulus G″) were significant larger than in gray matter.