Simulation of Cerebral Circulation

Cerebral ischemia and aneurisms are often treated surgically, e.g., creating a bypass. The surgery affects not only the target region of the brain, but leads to a global redistribution of blood flow. While the undesired effects are to some extent counteracted by autoregulation processes, the safety margins within the working range of the baroreflex can be reduced significantly, increasing the risk of underperfusion in case of stress.

In this project we develop a simulation tool for cerebral circulation that includes the anatomy of the cerebral vascularization, the flow balances, and the autoregulation mechanisms, and allows the surgeon to estimate the effect of surgical options.