Techniques for Measuring Intracranial Pressure

Abstract

It is difficult to dissociate methodology entirely from theoretical concepts or from clinical constraints. Because of the avalanche of data about intracranial pressure (ICP) in recent years, both from the bedside and the laboratory bench, basic ideas about ICP are now changing rapidly — in particular the degree to which pressure is transmitted between different parts of the intracranial cavity and across the dura. As a result there is uncertainty about what it would be desirable to measure, even if it were possible, whilst at the same time technical developments are frequently altering what is possible. This chapter should therefore be read in conjunction with the discussion and summary of Session 1 (p. 37) and Session 2 (p. 70) on methodology.