Elucidation of Regional Mechanical Properties of Brain Tissues Based on Cell Density

Research on the mechanical properties of brain tissue has received extensive attention. However, most of the current studies have been conducted at the phenomenological level. In this study, the indentation method was used to explore the difference in local mechanical properties among different regions of the porcine cerebral cortex. Further, hematoxylin-eosin and immunofluorescence staining methods were used to determine the correlation between the cellular density at different test points and mechanical properties of the porcine cerebral cortex. The frontal lobe exhibited the strongest viscosity. The temporal lobe displayed the lowest sensitivity to changes in the indentation speed, and the occipital lobe exhibited the highest shear modulus. Additionally, the shear modulus of different areas of the cerebral cortex was negatively correlated with the total number of local cells per unit area and positively correlated with the number of neuronal cell bodies per unit area. Exploration of the mechanical properties of the local brain tissue can provide basic data for the establishment of a finite element model of the brain and mechanical referential information for the implantation position of brain chips.