Neurohydrodynamics

Neurohydrodynamics is a division of neurophysics that focuses on the hydrodynamics of the neurological system. It applies physical principles and design concepts to neurophysics seeking to close the gap between fluid mechanics and neurosurgical and neurological medicine. It combines fluid mechanics principles with neuroscience to improve neurological disorder healthcare diagnosis, monitoring and therapy.

Pulsatile movement of cerebrospinal fluid around the spinal cord at the second cervical vertebrae level in a healthy young subject.

Neurohydrodynamics investigates the role of intracranial fluid hydrodynamics (e.g. cerebrospinal fluid, cerebral blood flow, and interstitial fluid) in the pathophysiology of neurological disorders such as hydrocephalus, Chiari malformation, syringomyelia, pseudotumor cerebri, cerebral vasospasm, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis and cerebral aneurysm.

Neurohydrodynamics is an emerging discipline within neurophysics. Such an evolution is common as a new field transitions from being an interdisciplinary specialization among already-established fields, to being considered a field in itself. Much of the work in neurohydrodynamics consists of clinical research and in vitro or computational modeling, spanning a broad array of subfields. Prominent neurohydrodynamic applications include the development of cerebral shunts, lumbar-peritoneal shunts, intrathecal pumps, neural drug delivery systems and various diagnostic and therapeutic medical devices ranging from clinical equipment to micro-implants. Neurohydrodynamics relies heavily on neuroimaging modalities such as flow sensitized MRI.