Intracranial pressure

A side view of the veins used to regulate fluid in the brain.

Just like blood pressure, our bodies control the fluid pressure around the brain to cushion it from hitting the skull.

Monitoring ‘intracranial pressure’ is not straightforward – there are many techniques but they are cumbersome, invasive and require professional operation.

Space research has developed a new way of measuring the pressure inside your skull using simple sound waves from headphones. The device is an effective early-warning system for patients recovering from head injury or brain surgery.

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