This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing theresources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject andinvestigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source,and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed isfor the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator.Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is a potentially reversible progressive neurological condition disproportionately affecting the elderly population. Given current controversies regarding its exact definition, accurate incidence and prevalence figures are elusive. However, few would argue that it is a condition that is currently under-recognized and under-diagnosed, or that its incidence and prevalence are likely increasing due to the progressive aging of the U.S. population as a whole. NPH was first described forty years ago as a triad of symptoms consisting of gait difficulties, urinary incontinence, and memory problems in patients with enlarged ventricles in the absence of increased intracranial pressure (ICP). The cause of primary, or idiopathic NPH (INPH) remains elusive, while secondary NPH results from intracranial insults such as head trauma, meningitis, or intracranial hemorrhage. NPH can be successfully treated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunting. However, the accurate diagnosis and treatment of patients with NPH remains problematic, despite significant advances in brain imaging and ICP physiology.
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