Human Head-Neck system: The effect of viscoelastic neck on the eigenfrequency spectrum

The present study is concerned with determining the dynamic characteristics of the human head-neck system which is described as a fluid-filled spheric al cavity supported by a viscoelastic neck reacting in three dimensions. Th e material of the skull is assumed to be a homogeneous, isotropic, elastic material, and that of the brain-cerebrospinal fluid as an inviscid irrotati onal fluid. The neck is approximated by a three-element viscoelastic model, the constants of which are computed by using experimental data. The obtain ed results show that the viscoelastic properties of the neck affect only th e first two eigenfrequencies and the corresponding damping coefficients, wh ile the remaining spectrum remains unchanged.