The effects of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion of arginine vasopressin (AVP) on intracranial pressure (ICP), blood pressure (BP) and plasma AVP were investigated in conscious goats. The animals were implanted with ventricular (V) and cisternal (C) cannulae under halothane anaesthesia and allowed to recover prior to experimentation. After 30 min infusion of 20 μl/min artificial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) alone, to allow the animals to settle, ICP (estimated at both C and V cannulae), BP and plasma AVP were measured. Then the animals were infused with either artificial CSF alone or 1 or 10 pmol/min AVP for a further 150 min. One pmol/min AVP i.c.v. resulted in significant ICP increases of +2.2 cm CSF (C) and +3.1 cm CSF (V) when compared with artificial CSF alone. Ten pmol/min AVP also led to significant ICP rises of +3.2 cm CSF (C) and +4.2 cm CSF (V). There were no significant changes of BP or plasma AVP during the infusions. We conclude that central infusion of AVP leads to elevated ICP in conscious goats by a mechanism that does not involve BP alteration or changes in plasma AVP.