The Effect of Mannitol on Water Content of White Matter After Head Injury in Man

Brain oedema, the abnormal accumulation of water in brain tissue, is thought to be a cause of raised intracranial pressure (ICP) after head injury in man. Mannitol an osmotic diuretic, is given to reduce ICP on the assumption that it dehydrates the brain. This mechanism has never been directly examined in man and we have therefore studied the effect of a low dose of mannitol on the white matter water of head injured patients.