Insights of posture dependent pressure characteristics in five rats

Abstract

Current shunt treatments of hydrocephalus, a condition characterized by excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and intracranial pressure (ICP) fluctuations, suffer malfunctions caused by changes in patient’s posture. Research toward a quantitative model describing posture dependent dynamics of CSF related pressures such as ICP and blood pressure (BP) shall provide relevant information that can lead to a better understanding of CSF dynamics and thus, improved treatment outcomes. In this pilot study, ICP and femoral blood pressure (FBP) were measured concurrently in anaesthetized as well as awake and freely moving rats using radio telemetry. It was shown that despite the inherent challenges of limited space for sensor implants and rapid movements leading to strong artefacts, influences on CSF related pressure fluctuations due to posture changes can be observed in individual rats

Keywords

• hydrocephalus
• cerebrospinal fluid
• intracranial pressure
• femoral blood pressure
• csf dynamics
• posture