System-Level Modeling of Skull-Borne Vibration: Quantifying Intracranial CSF Responses and Energy Pathways under tVAS
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Transcranial vibroacoustic stimulation (tVAS) delivered using a wearable transducer is being explored as a noninvasive intervention for neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. However, the system-level mechanisms governing the spatial distribution and localization of the induced vibrations remain insufficiently understood. In this study, we employ an anatomically segmented whole head finite element model to examine how frequency, force amplitude, and placement of tVAS transducer affect vibration transmission, as well as intracranial energy distribution. The whole head finite element model consists of solid component (brain eyes, cartilage, soft tissue, cortical bone and diploë) modeled as viscoelastic materials and fluid component (cerebroespinal fluid (CSF)) governed by the linearized Navier–Stokes equations. The solid and fluid domains are coupled through a multiphysics interface. The model is validated by comparing strain patterns with magnetic resonance elastography experiment data, which showed agreement near the superior brain cross section within 1.5 standard deviations. tVAS is then simulated to the model under varying conditions to evaluate intracranial energy transport. The conditions include force amplitudes of 0.5 to 2 N, excitation frequencies from 10 to 100 Hz, and transducer placements within the temporal region. Simulation results indicate that energy transfer into the CSF varies significantly with force amplitude, excitation frequency, and transducer placement. Increasing the force amplitude elevates CSF energy intensity. Frequency sweeps reveal pronounced CSF intensity peaks in the 20 to 40 Hz band, with both the magnitude and the regional pattern of CSF intensities changing across frequencies. Among the tested transducer placements, frontal placement and an upper lateral bilateral placement tend to promote energy transfer into CSF regions. These findings show that tVAS parameters govern where mechanical energy concentrates within the CSF, suggesting that these parameters should be carefully selected to achieve targeted energy delivery.
