Detection of Cardiac-Induced Volumetric Brain Tissue Pulsations and Compressions in a Post-Trauma Craniectomy Patient: An MRI Case Report

Motivation: Cyclic pulsations of the brain's blood vessels induce volumetric strain in the surrounding brain tissue, which can be observed using Displacement Encoding with Stimulated Echoes (DENSE). Goal(s): To assess the impact of a major change in physiological boundary conditions on the existence of brain tissue compressions. Approach: A two-stage clustering approach was applied to the volumetric strain data of a craniectomy patient. The clustering results of the patient were compared with previously acquired clustering results in healthy volunteers. Results: While healthy volunteers showed a consistent cluster with systolic brain tissue compressions, this compression was absent in the craniectomy patient. Impact: Clustering volumetric strain data from a craniectomy patient revealed the absence of a compression cluster, confirming the physiological basis of observed systolic brain tissue compressions in healthy volunteers. Furthermore, it highlights the crucial role of boundary conditions in brain pulsatility.