Cerebrospinal fluid conductance and compliance of the craniospinal space in normal-pressure hydrocephalus. A comparison between two methods for measuring conductance to outflow.
Conductance to outflow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has been measured by both a lumboventricular perfusion and a bolus injection method in 24 patients with normal-pressure hydrocephalus. One purpose was to investigate whether the less time-consuming technique of bolus, injection gave results comparable to the results obtained by the lumboventricular perfusion technique. There was a poor correlation between the results obtained by the two measurements of conductance to outflow of CSF. It is concluded that the bolus-injection technique cannot substitute for the lumboventricular perfusion test. Compliance of the CSF space was measured by the bolus injection. The presence of B-waves, recorded from long-term intraventricular pressure monitoring, could be correlated to the sum of conductance to outflow and compliance. The correlation offers a possible explanation of the nature of B-waves.
D000368:Aged; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000502:physiology*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006850:Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D007427:Intracranial Pressure; D008722:Methods; D008875:Middle Aged