Estimating the Compliance and Resistance to Flow in the Compartments of the Cranium

A methodology to obtain the resistance to flow and the compliance of the cerebrospinal system is presented. A hydraulic model of the compartments of the cerebrospinal system is developed to determine the resistance to cerebrospinal fluid flow at the base of the cranium. An electrical analog model is used to determine other parameters of the cerebrospinal fluid system, such as the resistance to blood flow in the cranium and the compliance of the cerebrospinal fluid system. The model was validated using measurements of blood flow and cerebrospinal fluid flow at the base of the cranium provided by Phase Contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging.