[Surgical treatment of normal pressure hydrocephalus]

Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is an important diagnosis to keep in mind, i.e. the possibility that NPH and not a neurodegenerative disease causes the patient's symptoms with ataxia, urinary incontinence and dementia. Clinical improvement, sometimes a complete reversal of the symptoms, may be seen after a simple surgical procedure. This prospective study was performed by testing eight consecutively shunted patients with a walking test and a cognitive test battery pre- and postoperatively. Improvement 3-4 months after the shunting procedure suggests that NPH was present in six of eight patients. Walking ability was improved after surgery, also in patients with severe dementia. Severe dementia caused by NPH is hardly reversible, though cognitive tests may indicate some improvement. However, early surgical treatment of NPH in patients not suffering from a dementia according to the Mini Mental Status Test may bring improvement in some cognitive functions. Patients with both clinical and radiological signs of normal pressure hydrocephalus should be offered a shunting procedure.