[Cerebral and blood flow and cerebral blood volume in communicating hydrocephalus (author's transl)].

Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) were estimated in patients with communicating hydrocephalus, arteriosclerotic and presenile dementia. In all groups ischemic patterns were detected which did not allow any differential diagnostic separation between the patients. In some patients with communicating hydrocephalus reduction of cerebrospinal fluid pressure by lumbar puncture or ventriculoperipheral shunt respectively resulted in increase of rCBF and rCBV. This was not achieved in the other patients with dementia. Predominantly areas with ischemic flow values gained profit from reduction of CSF pressure. This was interpreted as a sign of regional damage to the autoregulation.