Publication Summary
The cerebral venous drainage system has often been viewed simply as a series of collecting vessels passively channelling blood from the brain back to the heart. However, recent studies suggest that this system may be far from passive and that it plays an important role in regulating intracranial pressure and the stiffness of the brain parenchyma, as well as influencing the dynamics of the cerebrospinal fluid in the cranium. Anomalies of the cervical veins have been reportedly linked with several neurologic conditions, including multiple sclerosis, and this has led to renewed interest in the role of the cerebral venous system. In this review we investigate this issue and explore the connection between veins and neurologic disease, highlighting the biomechanical links between cerebral venous drainage and the intracranial fluidic system.
