Brain edema is a simple phenomenon - an abnormal increase of brain tissue volume by the increase of brain tissue water content. However the etiology is not simple and relating to a wide variety of neurological disorders including ischemia, trauma, tumor, hemorrhage and hydrocephalus. It is still a major cause of death in the neurological/neurosurgical ward. This volume is an up-to-date report on progress in brain edema research, diagnosis and treatment, including papers presented at the 12th International Symposium on Brain Edema and Brain Tissue Injury in 2002. Major topics include molecular biology and blood-brain barrier disorders, ischemic and traumatic brain edema, imaging and diagnosis of brain edema, treatment and radiation effect. Various papers in the rapidly growing fields of neuroimaging and molecular medicine are also included.

In recent years much progress has been made in the field of neurochemical monitoring for the acutelly injured brain. The development of safe continuous microdialysis techniques coupled with microanalytical methodology can generate semi-continuous time profiles of the changes in numerous brain analytes such as lactate, glucose, pyruvate, excitatory amino acids, structural amino acids, indicators of free radical generation, cytokines, adenosine, and neuroprotective drugs. Descriptive studies have shown profound, prolonged, and severe abnormalities in many of the analytes measured and the next phase is to determine the effects of therapeutic interventions upon these parameters. This field of research has contributed tremendously to our understanding of pathomechanisms in acute human brain damage.

This book contains the papers delivered at the Fourth International Symposium on Intracranial Pressure, held at Williamsburg, Virginia, USA, June 10-14, 1979. Divided into 12 sessions, they reflect the most recent developments in areas such as head injuries, pressure volume studies, cerebrovascular complications, intracranial hemor rhage, brain edema, systemic factors and infectious processes, data recording and analysis, CSF formation and absorption, hydroce phalus, clinical aspects of ICP monitoring, anesthesia and intra cranial pressure, treatment with barbiturates and steroids, and os motherapy. The book concludes with a summary of the present state-of-the-art in the field as a whole by Dr. Langfitt. There were two innovations at this Symposium. The first of these was poster sessions, the second, breakfast seminars. This volume contains all papers read plus all those presented as posters, and for this reason contains more pages than the three previous volumes. The organizers wish to thank the Advisory Committee for the work done in paper selection and focus of the Conference. Appreciation is also given to the Chairmen and Co-chairmen of the sessions for the preparation of summary statements. Manuscript preparation was performed by Ms. Lucille Browne, and gratitude is expressed to her. The next Symposium, the Fifth International Conference on ICP, will be held in Japan in 1982. We also wish to acknowledge the technical help of Springer-Verlag and their celerity in producing this volume. The Editors VII Contents Session I. Head Injury Chairman: D. P. BECKER; Co-chairman: I. PAPO 3 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . .."

This volume is a compilation of papers presented at the Tenth International Symposium on Brain Edema held on October 20-23, 1996, in San Diego, California. This follows the sequence of meetings that was initiated 31 years ago in the First International Symposium held in Vienna. Subsequent symposiums were held in Mainz, Montreal, Berlin, Groningen, Tokyo, Baltimore, Bern, and Tokyo CY okohama). A considerable number of papers was chosen from over 100 papers that were received. The organizers wish to thank the Advisory Committee for the excellent work done in selection of the papers. We also wish to thank all the persons who contributed to the success of the Tenth International Symposium, especially the staff who worked behind the scenes. These papers were reviewed, edited, approved or disapproved by the Editorial Board. Those manuscripts that were felt not pertinent to this publication were not accepted by the Editorial Board. Therefore, the excellent quality of those that are in the book are a reflection of the authors' dedication and work and that of those of the Editorial Board in their review process. For the reader's convenience, the papers are structured according to the various disease processes which are associated with the primary topic: hypertension, hydrocephalus, infection, ischemia, tumor, etc. We do hope that the reader will enjoy the articles and that they will provide an impetus and insight for future work.

Brain edema is found in a wide variety of clinical disorders including stroke, intracerebral haemorrhage, subarachnoid haemorrhage, head injury, brain tumors and hydrocephalus. This volume brings together clinical and basic scientists from all over the world. Their expertise in the understanding of brain edema and shifts in brain water compartments has led to a further significant step in our understanding of those diseases characterized by brain edema. This book has also drawn on the expertise of the International Advisory Board of the Brain Edema Society, who have carefully summarized each section, thus providing an easy-to-read summary of the latest advances in each subject. The book is therefore much more than a collection of papers: it represents a critical appraisal and puts each paper into modern scientific context. The greatest advances have come from the rapid development of modern imaging techniques, especially with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Imaging can now produce "water maps" and "metabolic profiles" that bring brain metabolism and water content right into every clinic with access to MRI. This book provides the background knowledge to understand these pathophysiological changes.