Jornal de Neurologia Clínica e Neurocirurgia

Screening of Elderly for Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus after Falls

Abstract

Hazel Scarlett*

Many people with idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (iNPH) have been reported to have fallen before being diagnosed. There have been no previous studies on the prevalence of iNPH among the elderly with a history of falls. The efficacy of screening for iNPH in older patients who present after a fall was examined in this research. The clinical trial of gait disturbance, cognitive impairment, and urine incontinence, as well as ventricular enlargement on neurological imaging, describe idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH). Clinical care for iNPH is becoming increasingly important in a rapidly ageing population, as the condition is more frequent in the elderly. Among dementing diseases, iNPH is one of the few that can be treated; a Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) shunt has proven to be successful, with clinical improvement reported in 60%-80% of patients. Despite the growing significance of identifying this condition, it is still underdiagnosed, owing to its non-specific symptoms and predominance among the elderly, who are more likely to have other diseases that are similar, leading to diagnostic confusion.