Shunting improves hydrocephalus symptoms in older adults

Implanting a brain shut in older adults diagnosed with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus is effective in improving their symptoms, according to results of a randomized, double-blinded patient trial.

The findings were published today in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the 150th annual meeting of the American Neurological Association in Baltimore.

The disorder is associated with an enlargement of the ventricles of the brain and with excessive amounts of the fluid that cushions the brain. The condition can lead to slow gait, difficulty thinking and remembering, and bladder control problems.  The risk of developing the disease increases with advanced age. 

Shunt treatment to drain their extra brain fluid enabled patients to walk faster, maintain steadier balance, and experience fewer falls. 

Twenty-one medical centers, located in the United States, Canada, and Sweden, participated in the trial. 

Dr. Michael A. Williams, professor of neurology and neurological surgery at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, is one of three lead authors of the study. Dr. Nikolas Dasher, a UW Medicine neuropsychologist in rehabilitation medicine, oversaw the patient assessments. 

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