The three hallmark normal pressure hydrocephalus symptoms are considered the “classic” clinical picture, but not everyone with normal pressure hydrocephalus experiences all three symptoms. Loss of bladder control, which tends to appear somewhat later in the disease than difficulty walking and cognitive decline.īecause the symptoms of normal pressure hydrocephalus are similar to Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, normal pressure hydrocephalus is often overlooked or misdiagnosed.Decline in thinking skills that includes overall slowing of thought processes, apathy, impaired planning and decision-making, reduced concentration, and changes in personality and behavior.Mild dementia that involves loss of interest in daily activities, forgetfulness, difficulty completing routine tasks and short-term memory loss.Difficulty walking that's sometimes compared to the way a person walks "on a boat," with the body bent forward, legs held wide apart and feet moving as if they're "glued to the deck.".The following symptoms are considered hallmarks of normal pressure hydrocephalus: But in most cases, the cause of the fluid buildup remains unknown. In some cases, normal pressure hydrocephalus is caused by other brain disorders such as a tumor, head injury, hemorrhage, infection or inflammation. Learn more: Key Types of Dementia Causes and risk factors In fact, less than 20 percent of people with the disease are properly diagnosed. The Hydrocephalus Association estimates that nearly 700,000 adults have normal pressure hydrocephalus, but it is often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. Normal pressure hydrocephalus primarily affects people in their 60s and 70s. There’s also a lack of data showing how long the benefit of shunting may last for those whose symptoms improve. Shunting doesn’t help everyone with normal pressure hydrocephalus, and there’s uncertainty about how best to identify those most likely to benefit. Surgery is most likely to help correct difficulties walking, but thinking changes and loss of bladder control are less likely to improve. Normal pressure hydrocephalus can sometimes be treated with surgical insertion of a shunt, a long, thin tube that drains excess CSF from the brain to the abdomen. As brain ventricles enlarge with the excess CSF, they can disrupt and damage nearby brain tissue, leading to difficulty walking, problems with thinking and reasoning, and loss of bladder control. Normal pressure hydrocephalus is called "normal pressure" because despite the excess fluid, CSF pressure as measured during a spinal tap is often normal. Normal pressure hydrocephalus is a brain disorder in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain’s ventricles, which are fluid-filled chambers. International Alzheimer's Disease Research Portfolio.Global Alzheimer’s Association Interactive Network.Global Biomarker Standardization Consortium (GBSC).Alzheimer’s Association Business Consortium (AABC).International Brain Study: SARS-CoV-2 Impact on Behavior and Cognition.Katzman, MD, Clinical Research Training Scholarship Pilot Awards for Global Brain Health Leaders (Invitation Only).Part the Cloud-Gates Partnership Grant Program: Bioenergetics and Inflammation.National Academy of Neuropsychology & Alzheimer’s Association Funding Opportunity.2022 Part the Cloud Translational (PTC) Research for Alzheimer’s Disease Program.The International Research Grant Program (IRGP) Council.