Cerebral Viscoelasticity in Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: Disorder & Softening of the Mechanical Matrix of the Brain & Its Reorganization After Shunt Treatment

Ingolf Sack¹, Sebastian Hirsch¹, Dieter Klatt, Kaspar Josche Streitberger, Florian Freimann², Christian Sprung², Jrgen Braun³

The alteration of the viscoelastic properties of brain is a key point in current theories of the pathogenesis of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). MR elastography (MRE) is capable of measuring the mechanical connectivity and micromechanical order of brain tissue in vivo. This paper reports data of 19 NPH-patients studied prior and after shunt operation by cerebral multifrequency MRE and compared to 25 age-matched controls. Conclusion: NPH is associated with disorder and softening of brain tissue. Rehabilitation is seen in re-increasing micromechanical order whereas shear elasticity remains lower than in age-matched controls.