Biomechanics of the CNS

For a long time, neurosciences have focused on biochemical, molecular, and electrophysiological aspects of cell functioning. However, there is an increasing awareness of the importance of biomechanics in physiology and pathology of the central nervous system (CNS). In the first part of this review we provide physical basics necessary to understand biomechanical measurements, we introduce the cytoskeleton as a major contributor to a cell’s passive and active mechanical behavior, and we discuss some of the methods nowadays used to quantify mechanical properties. In the second part we present actual data on CNS mechanics, and we discuss the impact of passive mechanical material properties and active mechanical behavior of cells on the development, normal functioning and pathology of the CNS.