LINEAR VISCOELASTIC PROPERTIES OF BOVINE BRAIN-TISSUE IN SMEAR

We report the results from a series of rheological tests of fresh bovi ne brain tissue. Using a standard Bohlin VOR shear rheometer, shear re laxation and oscillating strain sweep experiments were performed on di sks of brain tissue 30 mm in diameter, with a thickness of 1.5-2 mm, T he strain sweep experiment showed that the viscoelastic strain limit i s of the order of 0.1% strain. Shear relaxation data do not indicate t he presence of a long-term elastic modulus, indicating fluid-like beha vior. A relaxation spectrum was calculated by inverting the experiment al data and used to predict oscillatory response, which agreed well wi th measured data. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.