Michael Pinsky – författare

Cerebral Blood Flow: Quantifying Consciousness Although the heart may be the source of energy needed to generate blood flow,and other organs absolutely essential for normal living,the brain is the reason we are alive. The collected book chapters are aimed at addressing this most fundamental organ and its blood flow. These papers reflect detailed descriptions of similar topics presented over a two-day period as part of the 5th International Symposium on Applied Physiology of the Peripheral Circulation held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in June 2000. The symposium and this volume were organized into four distinct groupings that follow in a logical fashion. The initial papers focus on the basic unique physiology and pathophysiology of the cerebral circulation, including a historical reviewof the means to measure cerebral blood flow and its implications of the past 30 years. Dr. Walter D. Obrist was one of the original investigators to use radiolabeled markers to assess cerebral blood flow. His equations and initial studies form an impressive introduction to where we are now. As with much of the body's special organs, the brain too has many circulatory features unique to itself.These include the unique blood-brain barrier function ofthe endothelium, local neural regulation control, and intracranial pressure effects. These special issues,plus genetic factors that may predispose individuals to developing cere­ bral aneurysm, make up the initial section of the monograph.

Cerebral Blood Flow: Quantifying Consciousness Although the heart may be the source of energy needed to generate blood flow,and other organs absolutely essential for normal living,the brain is the reason we are alive. The collected book chapters are aimed at addressing this most fundamental organ and its blood flow. These papers reflect detailed descriptions of similar topics presented over a two-day period as part of the 5th International Symposium on Applied Physiology of the Peripheral Circulation held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in June 2000. The symposium and this volume were organized into four distinct groupings that follow in a logical fashion. The initial papers focus on the basic unique physiology and pathophysiology of the cerebral circulation, including a historical reviewof the means to measure cerebral blood flow and its implications of the past 30 years. Dr. Walter D. Obrist was one of the original investigators to use radiolabeled markers to assess cerebral blood flow. His equations and initial studies form an impressive introduction to where we are now. As with much of the body''s special organs, the brain too has many circulatory features unique to itself.These include the unique blood-brain barrier function ofthe endothelium, local neural regulation control, and intracranial pressure effects. These special issues,plus genetic factors that may predispose individuals to developing cere­ bral aneurysm, make up the initial section of the monograph.

This book represents the collective efforts of several excellent,clini­ cian-scientists who have devoted many years of their lives and many hours in each day to the application of physiological principles to the bedside care of critically ill patients. The universal challenge of car­ diovascular instability confronts all health care providers who treat patients in an acute care setting. Whether that be in the field or Emergency Department, general ward, operating suite or intensive care unit, all patients carry a common theme of potential life-taking processes which must to identified and treated in a timely fashion or severe morbidity and death rapidly follow. Since the cardiovascular system subserves the body in maintain­ ing metabolic stability through global and regional blood flow at an adequate pressure to insure appropriate autoregulation of blood flow distribution, it would be difficult to describe the mechanisms of cardiovascular instability their diagnosis and treatment without placing them within the context of overall metabolism and tissue vi­ ability. Accordingly, this book has been grouped into four arbitrary subsets. First, we address issues of basic cardiovascular physiology. Classic developments of ventricular pump function and arterial re­ sistance are balanced with newer applications of ventriculo-arterial coupling, right ventricular function, and tissue oxygen delivery.