Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Assessing Cerebral Autoregulation via Oscillatory Lower Body Negative Pressure and Projection Pursuit Regression
Published on: December 10, 2014
Oscillations of cerebrospinal fluid pressure in nonhydrocephalic persons
1Department of Neurology, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Freiburg, Germany.
Abstract:
Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure oscillations with a wavelength of 0.5-2/min (B-waves) are used as a criterion for shunt insertion in hydrocephalic patients. We describe CSF pressure oscillations in two nonhydrocephalic patients with normal baseline CSF pressure. Intracranial pressure was recorded via a ventricular drainage in a 54-year-old male who had a lumber CSF leak after surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis and disc herniation after the leak was closed. In the second patient, a 42-year-old male, CSF pressure was monitored via a lumbar drainage which was placed for treatment of a subcutaneous CSF effusion after resection of a recurrent temporal meningioma. CSF pressure oscillations of a wavelength of 0.5-2/min were observed with a relative frequency of 50% (patient 1) and 60% (patient 2) of the recorded time. Also longer waves were observed. Our data suggest that CSF pressure oscillations are not confined to hydrocephalic patients with raised intracranial pressure.
Related Concept Videos
Anatomy of the Brain: Ventricles
Cerebrospinal Fluid
CSF Production
CSF is produced mainly in the choroid plexus, a network of capillaries and ependymal cells located within the ventricular system of the brain.
Increased Intracranial Pressure l: Introduction
Increased Intracranial Pressure ll: Pathophysiology
Cerebral Edema l: Introduction
Cerebral Edema ll: Pathophysiology

