4 A common way to deliver anesthesia for surgery and childbirth is to inject the

Question

4 A common way to deliver anesthesia for surgery and childbirth is to inject the anesthetic agent into the epidural space (epidural anesthesia). A possible complication of this procedure is a tear in the dura mater that causes CSF to leak out of the central nervous system. Why would a loss of cerebrospinal fluid be problematic? What symptoms do you predict with this condition? (Hint: Think about the function of cerebrospinal fluid.) During a procedure called a lumbar puncture, CSF surrounding the meninges is withdrawn with a needle. This procedure generally is performed between L3 and LS. Why do you think the fluid is withdrawn here rather than from higher up in the vertebral column (e.g., the cervical vertebrae)? Often, the sampled CSF is tested for bacteria or viruses if a brain infection is suspected. Why would CSF sampled from the spinal cord give you information about the condition of the brain? 5 6 An individual sustains injuries to only the descending tracts of the spinal cord. Will this person experience deficits wit movement, sensation, both, or neither? Explain.

Explanation / Answer

4. Cerebrospinal fluid is a clear, colourless body fluid which is found in the brain and spinal cord. The cerebrospinal fluid performs several important functions such as maintaining the buoyancy of the brain i.e the brain maintains its density without being affected by its own weight. CSF also acts as a shock absorber from injury of the brain.CSF also plays an important role in the regulation and distribution of various neuroendocrine factors and other substances in the brain. CSF plays an important role in the removal of metabolic wastes from brain.

Loss of cerebrospinal fluid would be problematic because it will result in cut off of the blood supply from the brain, thus killing the neurons present in the brain. This would lead to a total disturbance in the neuronal circuits. Wihout CSF, the brain is vulnerable to all forms of injuries. CSF loss would result in the disruption of the maintainence of homeostasis in the brain; all sorts of metabolic wastes would accumulate in the brain with the loss of CSF thus impairing its function.

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