[Evaluation of perceptive activity in persons with low pressure hydrocephalus treated surgically. Preliminary report]

Preliminary assessment of perceptive activity was carried out in patients with low-pressure hydrocephalus diagnosed clinically. The purpose of the study was establishing of the valuable tests for the neuropsychological diagnosis making possible finding of perceptive processes most frequently disturbed in low-pressure hydrocephalus. The studied group comprised 53 patients operated on for this hydrocephalus. In only 9 cases the condition of the patient made possible a detailed study of the perceptive processes. In this group the tests were carried out three times: before, immediately and after a longer time after insertion of ventriculoperitoneal shunt. The results showed differences in the level of general perceptive functioning in the whole group. In the subgroup studied in detail no general perception deterioration was found, and the usual disturbances were noted in the memorization of new information and in visuospatial orientation. Late after the operation the greatest improvement was observed in the most disturbed functions.