Detection of loss of cerebral vascular tone by correlation of arterial and intracranial pressure signals.

With the use of a laboratory model, arterial and intracranial pressure signals were obtained under conditions of intact regulation of cerebral blood flow and massive dilation. During elevated intracranial pressure and intact regulation, positive pressure inhalation appears to briefly occlude venous flow into the cranial sinuses during inspiration. As a result, the intracranial pressure and arterial pressure signals are not similar. In contrast, when maximal dilation causes failure of regulation of cerebral blood flow, the intracranial pressure signal is approximately proportional to the arterial pressure signal. Comparison of the cross-correlation function derived from the intracranial and arterial pressure signals to the autocorrelation function of the arterial signal reveals that the two correlation functions are: 1) different during intact regulation and 2) nearly identical during dilation induced failure of regulation of cerebral blood flow.