The ascorbic acid/dehydroascorbic acid system was analyzed in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 41 patients with different neurological disorders. The chi-square test of covariance analysis revealed in this sample significant differences in the CSF levels of total ascorbic acid when patients were classified by diagnostic categories. The population analyzed contained a group of 18 patients (back pain/sciatica group) in whom no overt neurological abnormalities were disclosed upon evaluation. Taking the CSF levels of total ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid in these patients as the reference (3.57 +/- 0.87 (SD)/100 ml and 0.53 +/- 0.19 mg/100 ml, respectively), it was found that head-traumatized patients showed a significant reduction in the concentration of total ascorbic acid in the CSF. CSF ascorbic acid levels were also significantly lower in patients with increased intracranial pressure (noninfected hydrocephalus group) and in patients with cerebral tumors. Although the CSF concentration of dehydroascorbic acid did not correspondingly increase over the reference values in these three groups of patients, the tendency existed for dehydroascorbic acid to represent in them a higher percentage of total ascorbic acid. After examining different alternatives, it is concluded that the hypothesis of free radical damage to the central nervous system after certain types of injury (trauma, ischemia, and tumors) may provide a satisfactory explanation of our findings. A rationale for the use of vitamin C in the management of some neurological patients is also derived from this work.