Inter cranial pressure and cerebral blood flow Flashcards
What is ICP?
Pressure of tissues inside cranial cavity
What is CBF?
Cerebral blood flow
Normal ICP
5-10 mmHg
Symptoms of small changes in ICP
Headaches and nausea
Symptoms of large changes of ICP
Impaired perfusion/ischaemia
What is ischaemia?
Restriction of blood supply to tissues causing shortage of oxygen
How to calculate perfusion pressure
MAP - CVP
What is MAP?
Mean arterial pressure
What is CVP?
Central venous pressure
How to calculate cerebral perfusion pressure
MAP - ICP
What is the Monroe-Kellie hypothesis?
Volume of cranium is fixed
Contents of cranium are incompressible
Any increase in volume of one of the components of the cranium must be compensated by a decrease in another
What is cerebral atrophy?
Loss of neurons, fluid takes its place
What is the blood-brain barrier?
Restricts fluid movement between intravascular and interstitial spaces
Function of CSF
Cushions brain, regulates ICP, acts as transfer medium (delivers nutrients, eliminates metabolic products and circulates neurotransmitters)
Why can you get a headache after a lumbar puncture?
CSF escapes from LP site, meaning brain sage and pulls on meningeal attachments (low pressure headache)
When ICP is raised can result in brain pulled into foramen magnum
Composition of CSF
No cells, virtually no protein
Markers, especially beta2 transferrin
How does blood regulate ICP?
Veins change diameter
How does CSF regulate ICP?
Easily moved between cranial and spinal spaces
How much ICP is produced a day?
Constant rate of 500mL/day