What is Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH)?
NPH is a clinical syndrome that is characterized by gait apraxia (a disorder of voluntary movement), incontinence (lack of bladder control), and dementia (deterioration of intellectual faculties). Although the cause of NPH is not known in most cases, some patients with NPH have a history of closed head injury or subarachnoid hemorrhage. In all NPH cases, enlarged ventricles are seen in the context of minimal atrophy of the brain. Therefore, the increase in ventricle size is not due to tissue loss, but rather due to changes in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF).

Diagnosing NPH
Currently, NPH is diagnosed in 4 ways:

• from symptoms listed above
• imaging the brain
• lumbar puncture
• catheter drainage of CSF

Treating NPH
Historically, NPH has often been overlooked or dismissed without treatment because of the difficulty in accurately diagnosing the condition and a perceived high risk of neurosurgical intervention. As the population ages and more patients become afflicted with NPH, much more attention is being focused on accurately diagnosing and safely treating this condition. Although historically a number of diagnostic tests have been applied, most have not accurately predicted the patient’s response to the placement of a ventricular shunt, the neurosurgical standard of care.

MCGHealth is the leading health care provider in the Southeast for treating NPH.

For more information about NPH, its symptoms and treatment option, call 706-721-7953.

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