Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH)

Have you seen the add for NPH on the television recently? When I saw it for the first time, it made me think of a lot of the people I'd worked with over the past 25 years. It made me wonder if some of them had been misdiagnosed, or rather was it that the diagnosis was missed? These are two completely different possibilities.

It's easy to see how this can happen by looking at some common symptoms of NPH. These are:
difficulty walking, balance and falls, bladder control problems, forgetfulness, decreased ability to solve problems and organize information. Loss of interest in activities has also been noted in NPH patients.

NPH simply put occurs when normal cerebrospinal fluid cannot be regulated properly in the brain. The extra fluid causes the ventricles in the brain to swell which increases pressure on parts of the brain that control bodily functions and various activities.

Symptoms can occur at the same time, and in other cases it may only be one or two of them. They can be apparent, or subtle. Left undiagnosed, conditions will worsen.

To make matters worse, a concrete diagnosis of NPH is difficult. Usually it's a preponderance of test results which best enables the diagnosis to be made. There is no cure for this condition, but it can be controlled if properly diagnosed.

Some of the more well known tests which are used to help make the diagnosis are: angiograms, CT scan, MRI, and neurological/psychological testing. Other tests are used as well. Sometimes cerebrospinal fluid is drawn off of the brain to see if symptoms improve.

The most common method of treatment for NPH sufferers is to have a shunt device implanted. The shunt serves as a drain so that extra fluid can be removed from the brain. This prevents fluid build up, addresses the resulting pressure on the areas of the brain that control activities, and decreases the symptoms which have created the problems.

With symptoms so similar to those exhibited in patients who have Parkinson's Disease and various forms of dementia, it seems quite possible that some of the people I've worked with over the past 25 years, had NPH but it wasn't recognized. ©

Authored by Jane D. Ogilvie. Contact through "Further Information" for permission to reprint.