Spinal descent of cerebrospinal fluid in man.

The descent of radiopharmaceuticals injected within the right lateral ventricle toward and into the spinal subarachnoidal spaces has been followed by scintiphotographic techniques and by computerized flow analysis in a group of "normal" patients. A substantial and rapid downward progression of the albumin-tagged tracer has been observed. This progression is faster than the subarachnoidal ascent toward the convexity of the brain.