Early changes of intracranial pressure, perfusion pressure, and blood flow after acute head injury

Abstract

The present study examines intracranial pressure (ICP), cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), and cerebral circulation immediately after experimental head injury in an animal model. The underlying systemic hemodynamic changes were also observed. To produce a standardized head injury, a fluid-percussion device was applied to the dura at the midline of 10 piglets. Seven other nontraumatized animals served as a control group. Hemodynamic parameters as well as ICP and CPP were recorded on-line, one value every 1.4 seconds. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral vascular resistance (CVR) were measured three times using a microsphere technique. Immediately after head injury, the traumatized animals showed a sudden increase in ICP, with a maximum of 40 torr at 3 to 5 minutes, while there was a pronounced decrease in CPP from 85 to 40 torr. The CBF in the various brain areas fell from 55 to 22 ml/min/100 gm within 5 minutes after the impact, and CVR increased to 300% of control values within 90 minutes. The findings of this study demonstrated that cerebral circulation is critically jeopardized within a few minutes after trauma. This, in combination with a subsequent increase in CVR, makes the early development of ischemic brain damage very likely. In traumatized patients, treatment prior to hospital admission must therefore be directed at prevention of this fatal course.

Neuroanatomical correlation of behavioral deficits in the CCI model of TBI

“…FP model was found to be suitable for the study of injury pathology (Conti et al, 1998), physiology (Albensi et al, 2000;McIntosh et al, 1994), and pharmacology (Faden et al, 1989(Faden et al, , 2003a in wide range of species including rats (Dixon et al, 1988;Perri et al, 1997), mice cats (Sullivan et al, 1976;Zauner et al, 2002), pigs (Pfenninger et al, 1989;Gibson et al, 2002), rabbits (Härtl et al, 1997), and dog/sheep (Millen et al, 1985). In the FP model, fluid pressure is applied to intact dura through craniotomy, and thus, FP model provides an injury that replicates clinical contusion without skull fracture.…”

Forensic significance of concentrations of ethanol in brain tissues following induced acute subdural hemorrhage

“…Pfenninger et al [15] noted a sudden increase in intracranial pressure, cerebral perfusion pressure and a decrease of cerebral blood flow after head injury induced in laboratory animals. They stated that the subdural hematoma pressed directly on brain tissues and regional cerebral blood flow decreased.…”

Effect of normabaric hyperoxia treatment on neuronal damage following fluid percussion injury in the striatum of mice: A morphological approach

“…Indeed, it has been found suitable for the study of injury pathology (Conti et al 1998) in a wide range of species, including mice. FPI-induced morphological changes occur due to elevated craniocerebral pressure (Pfenninger et al 1989), decreased cerebral perfusion pressure (Pfenninger et al 1989), reduced cerebral blood flow (Pfenninger et al 1989) and increased cerebral vascular resistance (Pfenninger et al 1989). In addition, alterations in cerebral blood flow (Qian et al 1996) and increased permeability of the blood brain barrier have been demonstrated in FPI models.…”