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    Differential Diagnosis of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

    Differential Diagnosis of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

    Key features

    Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) is a rare disorder that involves the build-up of fluid in the brain. It typically has three symptoms:

    1. Difficulty walking

    2. Loss of bladder control 

    3. Mental decline

    A person's cognitive responses become delayed, but they tend to be accurate and appropriate to the situation when they finally come. Gait problems and incontinence are common in the late stages of all dementias, but they are rarely prominent early features except in NPH.

    Treatment

    NPH can occasionally be treated by surgically inserting a shunt to drain fluid from the brain to the abdomen. This treatment tends to help more with walking and bladder control than with mental decline.

    Pathology

    NPH occurs when fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord is unable to drain normally. The fluid builds up, enlarging spaces in the brain called ventricles. As the ventricles expand, they can compress and damage nearby tissue.

    For your patients and families: Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

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