Review Paper: Fifty years of brain tissue mechanical testing: From in vitro to in vivo investigations

Simon Chatelin; André Constantinesco; Rémy Willinger
Biorheology 47 (2010) 255–276. DOI

https://doi.org/10.3233/BIR-2010-0576

342 citations · 27 en 2025–2026

Les titres, résumés et légendes des publications sont présentés en anglais.

Beginning in the 1960s many studies have been performed to investigate the mechanical properties of brain. In this paper we point out the difficulties linked with in vitro experimental protocols as well as the advantages of using recently developed non-invasive in vivo techniques, such as magnetic resonance elastography. Results of in vitro and in vivo work are compared, emphasizing the specificities and disparities of the in vitro as well as the in vivo results. In particular, a detailed discussion of the results obtained from dynamic shear experiments and magnetic resonance elastography is given before arriving at a tentative conclusion on the state of knowledge of the mechanical properties of brain.

Keywords: Literature review, magnetic resonance elastography, rheology

Utilisation des équipements

Cette revue compare les approches in vitro et in vivo de mesure des propriétés mécaniques du tissu cérébral, en accordant une attention particulière aux essais de cisaillement dynamique et à l’élastographie par résonance magnétique. Elle examine les limites des protocoles et les différences entre approches de mesure. Le résumé disponible ne précise aucun rôle ni protocole pour le Mach-1 Mechanical Tester.