This study investigated the effects of an alveolar recruitment maneuver (30 cm H2O for 30 seconds) versus a sham maneuver (5 cm H2O for 30 seconds) on subdural pressure, brain relaxation score, and cerebral perfusion pressure in 21 patients undergoing resection of a supratentorial brain tumor. The recruitment maneuver significantly increased subdural pressure by 4.7 mmHg on average and decreased mean arterial pressure by 9.2 mmHg, resulting in an average 14 mmHg reduction in cerebral perfusion pressure. While the clinical significance of these physiologic changes requires further long-term study, recruitment maneuvers may not be recommended for routine use in neurosurgery patients until more is understood about potential long