Table 3 Resume of the nomenclature and characteristics of the waves observable in ICP. A-B-C waves were first observed by Lundberg in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Subsequently, more studies involving continuous recording of ICP were published, and other nomenclatures appear
From: Intracranial pressure for clinicians: it is not just a number
Frequency range | Alphabetical Name | Alternative names | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
Episodic, no frequency defined | A-waves | Plateau waves | Characteristically shaped waves in ICPÂ with three phases: ascending, plateau, descending. |
Slow waves, 0.005–0.05 Hz | B-waves | Hyperaemic waves, vasogenic waves, | Very heterogeneous category, composed of slow waves with different morphologies: symmetric/asymmetric, with/without plateau waves superimposed, with/without ramps. Associated with increase in CBF and probably brain metabolism. |
0.1–0.15 Hz | C-waves | Mayer waves or M-waves, Traube-Hering-Mayer waves | Sympathetic waves originating in the systemic circulation and transmitted to ICP. |
0.16–0.3 Hz | R-waves | Respiratory waves | Waves synchronous with breathing. |