# The multiphysics of prion-like diseases: progression and atrophy

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1804.01958 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1804.01958/

## Key facts

- Cited by 6 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 5 Apr 2018.

## Built on by (most cited first, 6 of 6)

- [Reinforcement Learning based Disease Progression Model for Alzheimer's Disease](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2106.16187/) (2021)
- [A Stage-Aware Mixture of Experts Framework for Neurodegenerative Disease Progression Modelling](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2508.07032/) (2025)
- [Exploring hyperelastic material model discovery for human brain cortex: multivariate analysis vs. artificial neural network approaches](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.10762/) (2023)
- [Tau-BNO: Brain Neural Operator for Tau Transport Model](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.08108/) (2026)
- [Learning Mechanistic Subtypes of Neurodegeneration with a Physics-Informed Variational Autoencoder Mixture Model](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.15124/) (2025)
- [Integrating Mechanistic and Data-Driven Models for Neurological Disorders through Differentiable Programming](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.06094/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Many neurodegenerative diseases are related to the propagation and accumulation of toxic proteins throughout the brain. The lesions created by aggregates of these toxic proteins further lead to cell death and accelerated tissue atrophy. A striking feature of some of these diseases is their characteristic pattern and evolution, leading to well-codified disease stages visible to neuropathology and associated with various cognitive deficits and pathologies. Here, we simulate the anisotropic propagation and accumulation of toxic proteins in full brain geometry. We show that the same model with different initial seeding zones reproduces the characteristic evolution of different prion-like diseases. We also recover the expected evolution of the total toxic protein load. Finally, we couple our transport model to a mechanical atrophy model to obtain the typical degeneration patterns found in neurodegenerative diseases.