Why is an examination of the fluid important in the diagnosis of neurological condition?

Answer 1

-Why test cerebrospinal fluid (CSP)? CSF can be tested for the diagnosis of a variety of neurological diseases.[5] It is usually obtained by a procedure called lumbar puncture (Removal of CSF during lumber puncture can cause a severe headache after the fluid is removed, because the brain hangs on the vessels and nerve roots, and traction on them stimulates pain fibers. The pain can be relieved by intrathecal injection of sterile isotonic saline) in an attempt to count the cells in the fluid and to detect the levels of protein and glucose. These parameters alone may be extremely beneficial in the diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage and central nervous system infections (such as meningitis). Moreover, a CSF culture examination may yield the microorganism that has caused the infection. By using more sophisticated methods, such as the detection of the oligoclonal bands, an ongoing inflammatory condition (for example, multiple sclerosis) can be recognized. A beta-2 transferrin assay is highly specific and sensitive for the detection for e.g. CSF leakage. -What/where is CSP? Cerebrospinal fluid (CSP) is a clear bodily fluid that occupies the subarachnoid space and the ventricular system around and inside the brain. Essentially, the brain "floats" in it. More specifically, the CSF occupies the space between the arachnoid mater (the middle layer of the brain cover, meninges) and the pia mater (the layer of the meninges closest to the brain). It constitutes the content of all intra-cerebral (inside the brain, cerebrum) ventricles, cisterns and sulci (singular sulcus), as well as the central canal of the spinal cord. It acts as a "cushion" or buffer for the cortex, providing a basic mechanical and immunological protection to the brain inside the skull. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebrospinal_fluid