| Abstract: | Hydrocephalus, a serious condition involving accumulation of excess cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles of the brain and elevated cerebrospinal fluid pressure, can result from any of a number of factors, especially congenital malformations. Though many forms of treatment have been tried, only shunting is in common use today. However, shunts themselves cause many problems. Cerebrospinal fluid is produced in the choroid plexus and central nervous system ependyma and is absorbed through the arachnoid villi. Acetazolamide (Diamox), a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, and isosorbide, an osmotic diuretic, are expected to diminish cerebrospinal fluid pressure. The proposed experiment involved implanting piezoelectric pressure transducers into cats' ventricles, trying to obtain baseline values, and attempting to quantify the effects of Diamox and isosorbide on cerebrospinal fluid pressure. Unfortunately, it could not be performed because of unforeseeable circumstances beyond the author's control. A detailed discussion of several types of biological pressure transducers and their drawbacks is presented. The Pi system of Lorig, Cheng, and Ko is described and recommended for future experiments of this nature. |
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