{"paper_id":"030d0edf-0a68-4319-9f98-8a0d5fea1e01","body_text":"Comparative Biomechanical Studies of Goat and Human Brain Applicable for Surgical Training | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Comparative Biomechanical Studies of Goat and Human Brain Applicable for Surgical Training Umesh Gautam, Priya Narwal, Vikas Kaushik, Harsh Jain, Jhansi Lakshmi Mylapalli, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5043665/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Haptics-based neurosurgical simulators play a paramount role in surgical training. The reliability of these simulators depends on the accurate mechanical response of brain tissue. However, no study has yet provided a comprehensive mechanical map of the whole brain, which is crucial for an in-depth understanding of brain mechanics. Methods In our study, we elucidated the viscoelastic behaviour of the whole brain in 12 goat brains and one human brain using dynamic nanoindentation. This involved comparing the mechanical properties of corresponding goat brain regions to human brain regions. Results The cortex gray matter (GM) in the goat brain was approximately 30% stiffer than its white matter (WM), whereas deep GM in the thalamus was 23% stiffer than the deep WM in the corpus callosum. Interestingly, the human brain GM was up to 150% stiffer than the goat brain GM; however, the human brain WM stiffness showed the same range as that of goat brain WM. The stiffness of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata of the brain stem in humans and goats showed no significant difference. The loss moduli did not vary significantly across the brain. Additionally, the formalin fixation doubled the brain tissue stiffness. Conclusion Our study revealed a significant regional heterogeneity in the mechanical characteristics of brain tissue. We found that the GM was consistently stiffer than WM in both goat and human brains and that the human brain GM was stiffer than the goat brain GM. These findings have important implications for understanding brain biomechanics and for developing reliable and comprehensive neurosurgical training platforms. Goat brain Human brain Nanoindentation Viscoelasticity Gray Matter White Matter Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files SupplementaryInformation.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {\"props\":{\"pageProps\":{\"initialData\":{\"identity\":\"rs-5043665\",\"acceptedTermsAndConditions\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":true,\"archivedVersions\":[],\"articleType\":\"Research Article\",\"associatedPublications\":[],\"authors\":[{\"id\":364200900,\"identity\":\"70d8a5fd-a893-41f2-91df-03cce7158f6b\",\"order_by\":0,\"name\":\"Umesh Gautam\",\"email\":\"\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"Department of Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of Technology 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The reliability of these simulators depends on the accurate mechanical response of brain tissue. However, no study has yet provided a comprehensive mechanical map of the whole brain, which is crucial for an in-depth understanding of brain mechanics.\\u003c/p\\u003e\\u003ch2\\u003eMethods\\u003c/h2\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eIn our study, we elucidated the viscoelastic behaviour of the whole brain in 12 goat brains and one human brain using dynamic nanoindentation. This involved comparing the mechanical properties of corresponding goat brain regions to human brain regions.\\u003c/p\\u003e\\u003ch2\\u003eResults\\u003c/h2\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eThe cortex gray matter (GM) in the goat brain was approximately 30% stiffer than its white matter (WM), whereas deep GM in the thalamus was 23% stiffer than the deep WM in the corpus callosum. Interestingly, the human brain GM was up to 150% stiffer than the goat brain GM; however, the human brain WM stiffness showed the same range as that of goat brain WM. The stiffness of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata of the brain stem in humans and goats showed no significant difference. The loss moduli did not vary significantly across the brain. Additionally, the formalin fixation doubled the brain tissue stiffness.\\u003c/p\\u003e\\u003ch2\\u003eConclusion\\u003c/h2\\u003e \\u003cp\\u003eOur study revealed a significant regional heterogeneity in the mechanical characteristics of brain tissue. We found that the GM was consistently stiffer than WM in both goat and human brains and that the human brain GM was stiffer than the goat brain GM. 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