CSF collection time at lumbar puncture is influenced by plasma cholesterol and triglycerides

It is a fairly well-known fact that the CSF collection time (tapping time) at lumbar puncture may influence CSF levels of monoamine compounds (e.g. the serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, 5-HIAA) and some neuropeptides. Since serum levels of cholesterol and triglycerides and low CSF levels of 5-HIAA have been linked to violent behaviour and impulsivity, we investigated retrospectively whether serum cholesterol and triglycerides affect CSF collection time. The series consists of 14 healthy males lumbar punctured at the L(4-5) level. We found that both serum cholesterol and serum triglycerides influenced the CSF collection time for 12 ml of CSF (R = 0.77; p = 0.0067). There was no correlation between cholesterol in serum and CSF, nor between cholesterol in the CSF and collection time. However, we accidentally found a correlation between cholesterol in the CSF and age. The proposed hypothesis tries to explain why cholesterol- and triglyceride-rich lipoprotein particles modify the CSF collection time and influence endothelial function with a subsequent effect on CSF production and/or intraspinal pressure. Thus, it may be of interest to pay attention to serum cholesterol and triglycerides, their effect on CSF collection time and, in the next step, their putative impact on levels of various compounds in the CSF.