Effects on Cerebral Circulation and Cerebral Metabolism of Various Kinds of Treatment for Head Injury

At this meeting last year we reported the results of our experimental investigation on the effects on cerebral circulation (CBF) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure of normal and brain edema dogs, of various drugs currently used for treatment of head injury, including 20% mannitol, thiamine tetrafurfuryl disulfide (T. T. F. D.), cytochrome C, cytidine diphosphate choline (CDP-choline) and prednisolone. This time we reported the results of our investigation on the effects of these drugs on CBF, cerebral oxygen consumption (CMRO_2 ) and CSF pressure of brain edema dogs. It was found that 20% mannitol, among those drugs, was most potent in promoting CBF and CMRO_2 and reducing CSF pressure. Then we tried to find the effects on CBF, etc., of the cerebral metabolism stimulating drugs after CSF pressure of brain edema dogs had been rendered approximately normal by previous infusion of 20% mannitol.