Blood-C.S.F. barriers dysfunction in the chronic organic brain syndrome; a R.I.A. study.

C.S.F. samples of 35 patients, who suffered from verified chronic, non-tumorous organic brain syndrome, were radioimmunoassayed for T4 and T.S.H., and were compared to C.S.F.-R.I.A. samples from a control group of patients who underwent myelography because of lumbar disc. In addition T4 and T.S.H. plasma levels were evaluated in the O.B.S. patients. C.S.F. T4 and T.S.H. levels were significantly higher in 65% of the O.B.S. group of patients than those of the control group. The average determinations for T4 were: 0.77 muh/100 ml in O.B.S. group as against 0--0.4 micrograms/100 ml in the C.S.F.'s of the control group. P greater than 0,001 T.S.H. C.S.F. levels were 1.33 microU/ml in the O.B.S. group, and 0--0.6 microU/ml in the control group (P greater than 0.005). It is suggested that the elevated R.I.A. values of these hormones in the C.S.F. of the O.B.S. patients reflect a disruption of blood-C.S.F. barriers. Therefore in the organic brain syndrome there seems to exist a pathophysiological dysfunction of brain barriers in addition of the neural damage.