Intracranial and Inner Ear Physiology and Pathophysiology

This book, which brings together some 30 contributors from the leading experts in this field, is based on papers presented at the Second International Conference on Intracranial and Inner Ear Fluids: Basic Aspects and Clinical Applications, held in Bath in 1997. The aim of the meeting was to bring together neuroscientists, neurosurgeons, otolaryngologists, neurologists and audiologists to discuss the following topics: intracranial and inner fluid interactions; the endolymph/perilymph/cerebrospinal fluid and associated disorders; non-invasive measurement of intracranial and inner fluid pressures; clinical aspects with particular reference to symptomatology, diagnosis and treatment; and comparative fluid models. Combining the clinical and research aspects of fluid and pressure regulation in the intracranial and intralabrynthine compartments as well as discussions on the clinical implications of abnormal fluid pressure is an innovative idea. The two topics have much in common. Maintaining both the intracranial pressure and the intralabrynthine pressure with normal limits is important for the normal functions of both the central nervous system and the ear. Communication between the intracranial space and the intralabrynthine space and their inter-relationships have been under-appreciated. These inter-relationships allow the possibility to measure intracranial pressure non-invasively by measuring the intralabrynthine pressure.