Know NPH

What is Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH)?

Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is a build up of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in an area in the center of the brain called ventricles. This causes the ventricles to become enlarged, sometimes with little or no increase in intracranial pressure (ICP).

What are the Symptoms of NPH?

NPH is typically characterized by a triad of symptoms: 

• Gait Disturbance
  • Difficulty walking or making turns, feeling like it’s hard to take the first step, balance issues, falling
• Cognitive Impairment
  • Feeling withdrawn, talking less, having a hard time paying attention, poor handwriting, trouble with simple math calculations
• Impaired Bladder Control
  • Trouble “holding it”, not able to get to the bathroom fast enough, experiencing accidents

These three symptoms may not all occur at the same time. They can also emerge at different stages of the disease with varying levels of severity.

Who develops NPH?

NPH is most commonly seen in adults aged 60 or over.

• A recent study estimates that 800,000 older Americans may be living with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH, with an estimate that more than 80% of cases remain unrecognized or untreated.
• Without appropriate diagnostic testing, NPH is often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease, stroke, or other neurodegenerative conditions. Sometimes the symptoms are mistakenly attributed to “normal aging”.