Colloquia

Summary

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders worldwide. One of the most prevalent biomarkers found in patients with AD is the accumulation of the waste protein Amyloid-ß. This thesis investigates the transport behaviour of this protein in the brain interstitial space through computational fluid mechanics simulations using high-performance computing resources. First, the flow of interstitial fluid is simulated in a complex section of the brain tissue called a neuropil. These simulations are performed for various velocities and diffusion coefficients, using the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM). Then, solute that mimics Amyloid-ß is injected using advection diffusion equations implemented within LBM. The results show that the solute accumulates in large cavities, where the velocity is relatively low.  Additionally, it has been found that tortuosity increases in the regions of higher accumulation. Previous studies report that patients with AD have significant neural density reduction, which may lead to the formation of larger cavities. This suggests a possible positive feedback mechanism, in which neurodegeneration would lead to larger cavities and thus more Amyloid-ß accumulation.