March 14, 2013
Researchers at BNAC discover that venoplasty increases the rate of flow of CSF in the brains of those treated with for CCSVI. CSF flow continues to improve a year after treatment.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23523158
CSF and CCSVI will be the focus of an upcoming roundtable discussion, hosted by CCSVI Alliance in New Orleans this coming April.
Most of us are familiar with cerebrospinal fluid as it is used in the diagnosis of MS. A lumbar puncture (or spinal tap) removes some of this liquid from the spine. If there are specific markers in the fluid, called oligoclonal banding, it is a sign that myelin is degrading in the central nervous system, and indicative of MS.
CSF is vitally important to brain health. We've know that CSF is part of the equation in blood flow in CCSVI. In fact, Dr. Zamboni noted that the severity of CCSVI was related to altered CSF flow in this study:
Most of the published CCSVI research is focused on measuring blood flow. But the brain and spine are unique in the body, in that CSF factors into blood volume in the central nervous system.
I first wrote about CSF on the forum This is MS in 2009--because I'd returned from Bologna and heard a neurologist discuss how he found parallels in CCSVI venoplasty and shunting for normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).
I wanted to explore this topic, because we are going to hear more about the importance of CSF flow in the coming months. There are some very exciting developments happening right now in CCSVI research, and they involve CSF flow.
Cerebrospinal Fluid has four very important functions for the brain.
1. Supports the brain. The weight of the brain is suspended in cerebral spinal fluid.
2. Protects the brain. By providing a cushioning space around tissue
3. Cleanses the brain. Rinses metabolic waste through the blood brain barrier and out through venous bloodflow.
4. Maintains perfusion level of the brain. CSF is self-regulating, and lessens volume when there is a problem with perfusion. When CSF levels increase, perfusion (cerebral blood flow) of the brain decreases.
