Queckenstedts's test: electromanometric examination of CSF pressure on jugular compression and its clinical value

Isovolumetric CSF pressure recording provides a very accurate analogue of hydrodynamic events occurring in the subarachnoid space. This study was undertaken to determine normal parameters of CSF pressure rise and fall on jugular compression for e1ectro manometric CSF pressure measurement and to assess the usefulness and clinical validity of this method.
1. Queckenstedt's test -the use of bilateral jugular compression in the detection of a spinal canal obstruction -has been a useful adjunct to neurological diagnosis for more than 50 years. The simple open-end water manometer has hitherto served as the device for visualizing CSF pressure 'ariations and it remains in clinical use, despite many attempts at technical refinement. More sophisticated manometry, especially the isovolumetric method, has contributed
substantially to the understanding of the hydrodynamics of the CSF spaces.