The Brain Photo credit:
Hydrocephalus is the build-up of fluid pressure which compresses the brain and causes the skull to enlarge. Reuters/Andrew Biraj
For many years scientists have been trying to find a way to measure the pressure in a patient’s brain without having to drill a hole in the person’s skull. Although this remains the most reliable way to measure pressure in the brain, it is invasive, expensive and comes with the risk of infection and bleeding.
Assessing pressure inside the brain is an important part of diagnosing certain neurosurgical conditions. These include brain tumours, cranial deformities, traumatic brain injury and infection.
Published on October 19, 2015 14:22