CEREBROSPINAL FLUID

Question 1

What is cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?

Answer 1

• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is the 3rd major body fluid.

Question 2

Who first recognized cerebrospinal fluid, and in what year?

Answer 2

• Cerebrospinal fluid was first recognized by Catugno in 1764.

Question 3

Is CSF considered an ultrafiltrate of plasma? Why or why not?

Answer 3

• No, CSF is not considered an ultrafiltrate of plasma because they don’t have the same components.

Question 4

What is the primary source of CSF in the body?

Answer 4

reaction of the choroid plexus.

Question 5

What mechanism does the choroid plexus perform in relation to CSF?

Answer 5

selective filtration with regard to CSF.

Question 6

Are some of the components in CSF also found in plasma?

Answer 6

• Yes, some components in CSF can also be found in plasma.

Question 7

Can some components in plasma be elevated in both plasma and CSF?

Answer 7

• Yes, some components in plasma can be elevated in both plasma and CSF.

Question 8

What are the functions of cerebrospinal fluid?

Answer 8

• Include supplying nutrients to nervous tissue, removing metabolic waste, and cushioning the brain and spinal cord against trauma.

Question 9

What type of tissue is the most delicate to damage in the context of cerebrospinal fluid?

Answer 9

• Nerve tissue is the most delicate to damage in the context of cerebrospinal fluid
• It does not rejuvenate.

Question 10

What is the normal volume of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collected during a lumbar tap in adults?

Answer 10

• The normal volume of CSF collected during a lumbar tap in adults is 140-170 mL.

Question 11

What is the normal volume of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collected during a lumbar tap in neonates?

Answer 11

• The normal volume of CSF collected during a lumbar tap in neonates is 10-60 mL.

Question 12

What is the purpose of a Ventricular Shunt?

Answer 12

• To reduce the amount of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain
• By draining it either into the abdomen or directly into the chambers of the heart.

Question 13

Why is reducing pressure in the brain important in the context of Ventricular Shunt?

Answer 13

• If the pressure remains high, it can lead to damage to brain tissue.

Question 14

What is the significance of brain tissue damage in relation to the effectiveness of Ventricular Shunt?

Answer 14

• Nerve tissue does not easily rejuvenate or undergo cell division.
• Therefore, if damage occurs, the regenerative process is either very slow or non-existent.

Question 15

What is the purpose of a ventricular shunt in the context of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?

Answer 15

• Used to shunt CSF in order to reduce pressure on the brain.

Question 16

What is a shunt used for in medical procedures?

Answer 16

• A shunt is a hollow plastic tube that is placed in the ventricle of the brain to help drain excess cerebrospinal fluid.

Question 17

How is a shunt typically positioned within the body?

Answer 17

• Is attached to a valve and threaded under the skin from the brain to either the abdomen (peritoneum) or the heart (atrium).

Question 18

What is a V-P Shunt?

Answer 18

• A V-P Shunt, or Ventricular-Peritoneal shunt
• Is a medical device that consists of a tube or valve placed in the brain to drain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) into the abdomen.

Question 19

What is a V-A Shunt?

Answer 19

• A medical procedure in which CSF is directed to flow into the heart to be drained
• As opposed to draining it into the abdomen as in the case of a V-P Shunt.