NCJ Number
142986
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 38 Issue: 3 Dated: (May 1993) Pages: 603-616
Date Published
1993
Length
14 pages
Annotation
Early postmortem changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may be studied to determine the extent premortem focal brain cell injury and terminal brain ischemia. In this study, cisternal fluid (CF) was drawn from 40 adult cadavers with no known neurological disorder, analyzed, and compared with known in vivo values.
Abstract
The sample was divided into four groups, with CF specimens taken 2, 4, 10, and 24 hours after death. The results showed that the enzyme activity of CK and CK-BB increased linearly and statistically significantly 4 to 24 hours postmortem. The 2-hour value was 10 to 20 times higher than in vivo, LD and its isoenzymes 1 to 3 distinctly 10 to 24 hours after death. Glucose and pyruvate concentrations in the CF declined as did Na+ and Cl-. Lactate and K+ increased over time. The earliest statistically significant changes between different timepoints were seen in lactate, pyruvate, and K+ concentrations. The GABA concentration was more than 170 times at 2 hours postmortem, and glutamate more than 20 times higher than in vivo. Concentrations of alanine, glycine, lysine, histidine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine were two to three times higher at 2 hours postmortem than in vivo. Concentrations of ammonia and all amino acids increased linearly and statistically significantly in the CF 4 to 24 hours postmortem. 2 tables, 5 figures, and 52 references