Neuromatiq : Neuroanatomie, neurophysiologie et neuropsychopathologie - Dr Ben Brahim Mohammed Pédopsychiatre Fès Béni Mellal

06. Cerebrospinal fluid

The cerebrospinal fluid [ 50 , 71 , 91], or CSF [ 3 , 5 ] is the liquid that bathes the central nervous system [ 45 , 67 ] (the brain and the spinal cord).

The CSF ensures:

• The protection of the central nervous system against mechanical shocks and vibrations [ 5 , 31 , 42 , 68 ],
• It plays an important role in the regulation of intracranial pressure [ 42 , 69 ],
• It participates in the cerebral metabolic processes by regulating the exchange of substances [ 42 ],
• And, provides many other functions as well [ 160 ] ...

The CSF circulates in two different compartments:

• The first is the inner brain ependymal cavities or ventricles,
• The second is the compartment surrounding the central nervous system, it corresponds to the sub-arachnoid space.

The CSF is secreted by the choroid plexus [ 38 ]: clusters of capillary blood vessels located in the ventricular system [ 41 ].

The ventricular system [ 37 ] consists of four ventricles [ 70 ] connected by many channels. It's connected to the central canal [ 42 ] of the spinal cord.

There are two lateral ventricles [ 43 , 66 ], occupying the center of the cerebral hemispheres. Both are connected to the third ventricle [ 38 , 224 ] at the center of the diencephalon by the foramina of Monro [ 2 , 41 , 71 , 160 ].

The third ventricle is connected to the fourth ventricle [ 43 , 51 ] in the brainstem by the aqueduct of Sylvius [ 41 , 43 , 72 ].

The CSF will leave the fourth ventricle through the foramen of Magendie [ 32 , 38 ] to fill the sub-arachnoid space [ 43 , 64 , 230 ] between the pia mater [ 38 , 85 ] and the arachnoid [ 64 , 94 ].

The CSF is then absorbed at the top of the skull by the arachnoid granulations of Pakioni [ 160 , 183 , 226 ].