Normal pressure hydrocephalus in the elderly: a treatable cause of dementia?
Normal pressure hydrocephalus in the elderly: a treatable cause of dementia?
Although normal pressure hydrocephalus is one of the few remediable causes of dementia, the diagnosis is often not considered in the elderly. Three patients are described who presented to an acute geriatric unit within a six-month period during which normal pressure hydrocephalus was actively sought and treated. Although two made striking initial improvement, the long-term prognosis was poor: complications were frequent, and all three died within two years of operation. This pilot study indicates that normal pressure hydrocephalus may account for a proportion of cases of 'senile' dementia, but that formal controlled studies are required to establish the best means of diagnosis and treatment.
Aged, Dementia/etiology, Female, Humans, Hydrocephalus/complications, Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure/complications, Male
254-258
Briggs, R S
a6b65ef0-e90c-4c07-bf5b-b70130c128b3
Castleden, C M
ace1cafc-d68f-4b09-ad97-e8cd3056600d
Alvarez, A S
a2da0a63-d04f-4300-9b04-117d74bd382d
1 November 1981
Briggs, R S
a6b65ef0-e90c-4c07-bf5b-b70130c128b3
Castleden, C M
ace1cafc-d68f-4b09-ad97-e8cd3056600d
Alvarez, A S
a2da0a63-d04f-4300-9b04-117d74bd382d
Briggs, R S, Castleden, C M and Alvarez, A S
(1981)
Normal pressure hydrocephalus in the elderly: a treatable cause of dementia?
Age and Ageing, 10 (4), .
(doi:10.1093/ageing/10.4.254).
Abstract
Although normal pressure hydrocephalus is one of the few remediable causes of dementia, the diagnosis is often not considered in the elderly. Three patients are described who presented to an acute geriatric unit within a six-month period during which normal pressure hydrocephalus was actively sought and treated. Although two made striking initial improvement, the long-term prognosis was poor: complications were frequent, and all three died within two years of operation. This pilot study indicates that normal pressure hydrocephalus may account for a proportion of cases of 'senile' dementia, but that formal controlled studies are required to establish the best means of diagnosis and treatment.
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Published date: 1 November 1981
Keywords:
Aged, Dementia/etiology, Female, Humans, Hydrocephalus/complications, Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure/complications, Male
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 479653
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/479653
ISSN: 0002-0729
PURE UUID: 2744ec36-2287-4c65-9793-7b6c3971b1a9
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Date deposited: 26 Jul 2023 16:44
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:43
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Author:
R S Briggs
Author:
C M Castleden
Author:
A S Alvarez
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