Pressure Volume Changes in Isobaric Brain Impaction

Abstract

The relationship of intracranial pressure and brain edema is not clear. Increased intracranial pressure, as would be expected, has not been a consistent finding in studies attempting to define the changes of intracranial pressure (ICP) associated with laboratory models of brain edema. In our experience, both cryogenic and infusion models of edema have produced relatively mild increases of ICP despite significant increases in brain tissue water (1, 2). We hypothesised that the rate of edema was an important factor and in this study challenged the brain with a high rate of infused volume at multiple locations in order to define more clearly the pressure dynamics.