Relative brain-skull displacement under head rotational acceleration in rats was evaluated experimentally. For this, a thin pin was entered the cortex and rigidly attached to the skull prior to impact. For peak rotational accelerations of 1.7 Mrad/s2, the pin scarred the brain cortex; 1.2 mm superficially and less centrally. These measurements were used to validate the brain kinematics of a new anatomically detailed FE model of the head-neck complex of a rat. This model is intended to be used to clarify brain loading mechanisms and to develop brain tissue injury threshold for Diffuse Axonal Injuries as detected through immune-histology.