Brain Lesions That Affect Cognition may be Triggered by Brain Damage

Brain lesions linked to cognitive decline may be triggered by wear and tear to the brain, especially in the vulnerable areas as per a study at Stevens Institute of Technology, published in the Scientific Reports. The study moreover demonstrates that strain on ventricular walls (the linings of fluid-filled chambers deep in the brain) explains where lesions develop in the aging brain and simultaneously how it affects the white matter (collection of brain fibers) of our brain.

The study thereby highlights the importance of viewing the brain as more than neural circuitry that underpins how thoughts are formed, and memories created.

“The brain is susceptible to wear and tear in vulnerable areas. Especially in an aging brain, we need to look at its biomechanical properties to better understand how things can start to go wrong,” says Johannes Weickenmeier, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Stevens, who led the study.

The study team validated their results using MRI scans from eight healthy subjects. The team developed an individualized computer model of each subject’s brain followed by mapping of the strain placed on ventricular walls.

These findings might thereby enable the development of new treatments for lesions and that holds the potential to cross the blood-brain barrier and reach affected areas.

Source-Medindia