Hyperventilation and Intracranial Pressure: Understanding the Relationship

Intracranial pressure (ICP) is typically decreased with hyperventilation due to the resultant hypocapnia. Hypocapnia causes vasoconstriction of cerebral vessels, reducing the blood volume within the cranium. This reduction in blood volume and the decrease in PaCO2-induced cerebral vasodilation work synergistically to lower the ICP.