Intracranial pressure and methods of its measurement

Intracranial pressure is the pressure created by the volumes of brain tissue, cerebrospinal fluid and blood inside the skull. In fact, this indicator is of great importance. The fact is that normal intracranial pressure creates all the necessary conditions for the functioning of the brain. At the slightest violation of it, irreversible changes in the nervous tissue can begin with all the ensuing consequences. And before asking how to determine intracranial pressure, let's see what the reasons for its change and what consequences they lead.

Intracranial pressure and the reasons for its change. The normal index of intracranial pressure varies from 7 to 7.5 to 14 to 15 millimeters of the mercury column. Supporting the normal level of this pressure is a rather complicated mechanism. For example, if the volume of the nervous tissue increases, a series of compensatory reactions is triggered, as a result of which the amount of cerebrospinal fluid decreases , but the pressure index does not change. But unfortunately, the compensatory processes of the human body are limited, and as soon as they exhaust themselves, a sudden jump in pressure occurs, which is bad for the work of the whole organism.

There are three main reasons that somehow lead to an increase in pressure? And they are all related to liquor. Liqvor is a special substance that constantly circulates in the ventricles of the brain and is absorbed into the blood. In the event that too much cerebrospinal fluid is formed, it is not fully absorbed into the blood, or a violation of the flow of the cerebrospinal fluid is observed in a person, and intracranial pressure begins to increase.

But problems with the balance of the cerebrospinal fluid are, as a rule, the result of other factors. For example, the cause may be a severe brain injury or brain surgery. Sometimes, a serious poisoning of the body, as well as previously transferred meningitis or encephalitis, can lead to an increase in pressure. In addition, problems with cerebrospinal fluid can be the result of a violation of the outflow of blood from the brain, as well as the presence of congenital pathologies in the structure of the brain.

How to check intracranial pressure? In fact, there are not so many ways to determine this indicator. But the most effective method to date is multimodal neuromonitoring, which is based on the measurement of indicators over a certain length of time.

Such a study doctors appoint patients after the operation on the brain, as well as people who have previously suffered encephalitis, meningitis or severe head trauma. In addition, neuromodal monitoring is indicated after a stroke, as well as in hydrocephalus and haemorrhagic hemorrhage.

This method of investigation is invasive and involves the use of special high-frequency monitors that measure intracranial pressure. And specially developed programs perform data processing, as well as their archiving with subsequent graphic visualization of all processes. As already mentioned, the research is conducted not for one specific moment, but for some time - thus, the doctor can get a more accurate picture of the patient's health.

Using this method allows not only to determine the index of intracranial pressure. With its help, you can avoid such severe consequences as the swelling of the membranes of the brain, and also to choose the necessary treatment methods that will be individual for each patient with trauma or other brain problems .