Numerical simulation of a neuron under blast load using viscoelastic material models

Traumatic brain injury is caused by physical brain injury. A computational model for considering the response of a neuronal cell under blast loading is presented. The neuronal cell consists of four components including the nucleus, cytoplasm, membrane, and also the network of microtubules with different arrays including crossing, stellate as well as random orientations. The effect of the sub-cellular components, specifically the network of microtubules, on a Traumatic Brain Injury’s consequences was studied as a novel and state-of-the-art innovation. Nucleus, cytoplasm, and membrane are assumed viscoelastic, while the network of microtubules follows elastic behavior. Finite element methods and fluid-structure interactions are considered to solve the coupled equations of the solid and the fluid. The results show that the presence of a network of microtubules, regardless of the types of arrays, reduces the total displacement of the cell as well as the von Mises stress. The membrane von Mises stress decreases 50 percent from 30 to 15 Pascal in presence of the network of the microtubules. Results of this research could be used in different fields including treatment of some diseases and pathological conditions such as kidney stones, sports injuries, traumatic astronauts, and ultimately prevention and treatment of traumatic brain injuries.