Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus: theoretical concept of a spinal etiology

Medical Hypotheses
Abderrahmane HamlatPasqualini Edouardo

Abstract

Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is an adult syndrome characterised by a combination of gait disturbance, varying degrees of cognitive decline, urinary incontinence, ventricular enlargement and normal mean intracranial pressure. Since this syndrome was first described, its pathophysiology has been a matter of great debate, although it is now considered that NPH could be divided into two groups: cases with unknown etiology (idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus, or INPH) and those which develop from several known causes (such as trauma, meningitis or subarachnoid haemorrhage). The pathophysiology of INPH is still unclear and a matter of debate. In this manuscript, the current pathophysiological conditions of INPH are analysed and the authors put forward the theory that the disease is a dynamic syndrome which occurs in patients who have suffered a significant loss of spinal compliance over time. Consequently, intracranial pressure increases more during systole in INPH patients because it cannot be compensated for by the escape of CSF into the spinal canal as effectively, due to the reduced volume or lack of distension of the spinal canal. This leads to an increase in ventricular size and causes cumulative brain damage over ...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jul 25, 2008·Clinical Autonomic Research : Official Journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society·Nagato KuriyamaMasanori Nakagawa
Nov 22, 2013·Neurologia Medico-chirurgica·Daisuke WajimaHiroyuki Nakase

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