|
Increase size of text: A A A
About Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
Normal pressure hydrocephalus (high-droh-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.
Vision statement
Back to top
|
