CBF, O2-Tension and O2-Metabolism in Vasogenic Brain Edema and the Effects of Dexamethasone and Nimodipine

The high oxygen consumption of the healthy brain and its possible impairment by hypoxia provoke the question regarding O2-tension, O2-consumption and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in injured brain and on the effects of drugs. Applying the polarographic measuring method we investigated these questions using multiwire surface microelec-trodes and testing treatment with dexamethasone, which is widely used in the treatment of brain edema (3, 6), and with the Ca++-antagonist Nomodipine, which is said to have a protective effect on CBF (5, 8) and on cerebral metabolism (9).