Dispersion of cerebral temperature, cerebral perfusion and intracranial pressure in rabbits placed with epidural balloons

Abstract

This study examines the intracranial pressure and temperature dispersion in a rabbit model after epidural balloon compression. Right and left supratentorial, intraventricular and infratentorial pressures and temperatures of the rabbits have been measured before epidural balloon was placed. Afterwards, the epidural balloon was placed in right parietal epidural area. The intracranial pressure and temperature dispersion values were recorded after inflation with 0.3 and 0.6 ml, respectively. The control values of intracranial pressure measurements of four different brain regions were found to be similar. When the balloon was inflated to 0.3 ml, the intracranial pressure distribution was found to be equal in all the fields. After the balloon was inflated up to 0.6 ml, right and left supratentorial intracranial pressure values were found to be equal. However, infratentorial pressure values were lower and intraventricular pressure values were higher when compared with the right hemisphere. Before the inflation and at two different inflation volumes, perfusion pressure and temperature dispersion were found to be similar between right hemisphere and other compartments. We conclude that, the effective mechanism in cerebral temperature regulation may be related to preserved cerebral perfusion pressure and cerebral blood flow.