A multicompartmental model of cerebrospinal fluid flow in the treatment of hydrocephalus

Hydrocephalus is a problem commonly encountered in neurologic practice, a condition marked by dilatation of the cerebral ventricles accompanied by an increased accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the skull. This fluid is usually under increased pressure, but occasionally may be normal or nearly so. Researchers have attempted to model hydrocephalus, but no previous model has been completely successful due to the complexity of the CSF system. The primary objective of this work was to refine existing multicompartmental mathematical models of the CSF system and combine these with a model simulating valve shunt function during the treatment of hydrocephalus. Efforts were concentrated on using equations based directly on physiologically verifiable data reported in the literature rather than approaching the model as an electrical or mechanical analog. This model was incorporated into a computer simulation describing the behavior of the CSF system under a variety of pathologic situations and illustrating the use of shunting systems in the treatment of these conditions. The program, written using a high-level programming language called Mathematica, will aid in understanding the pathophysiology of hydrocephalus and facilitate the future design of shunts used to treat this condition.