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Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
Normal pressure hydrocephalus (highdroh-
CEFF-a-luss) is another rare
disorder in which fluid surrounding the
brain and spinal cord is unable to drain
normally.
The fluid builds up, enlarging the ventricles
(fluid-filled chambers) inside the
brain. As the chambers expand, they can
compress and damage nearby tissue.
The "normal pressure" refers to the fact
that the spinal fluid pressure often,
although not always, falls within the normal
range on a spinal tap.
Symptoms
- Difficulty walking.
- Loss of bladder control.
- Mental decline, usually involving an
overall slowing in processing and
reacting to information.
A person's
responses are delayed, but they tend
to be accurate and appropriate to the
situation
when they finally come.
Treatment
- NPH can occasionally be treated by surgically inserting a long
thin tube called a shunt to drain
fluid from the brain to the
abdomen.
- Certain television broadcasts and commercials have portrayed
NPH as a highly treatable
condition that is often misdiagnosed as
Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. However, most experts
believe
it is unlikely that significant numbers of people diagnosed with
Alzheimer's or Parkinson's
actually have NPH that could be
treated with surgery.
- NPH is rare, and it looks different from Alzheimer's or Parkinson's
to a physician with experience
in assessing brain disorders.
- When shunting surgery is successful, it tends to help more with
walking and bladder control
than with mental decline.
- Brain imaging by itself cannot diagnose normal pressure
hydrocephalus. Many disorders
that cause dementia, including
Alzheimer's disease, cause the brain to shrink, making
the
fluid-filled chambers appear larger.
More Information.
Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (PDF) (2 pages)
Mild Cognitive Impairment
www.alznyc.org
American Family Physician is the journal of the American Academy
of Family Physicians.
September 2004 patient information sheet
on NPH
www.aafp.org
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