Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative disease of the nervous system of unknown etiology, which is clinically characterized by cognitive decline, psychiatric symptoms and behavioral disturbances, and gradual decline in the ability to perform daily living activities. Although experts have conducted a large number of case studies, the etiology is unknown so far. In recent years, many patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus also show dementia in the clinic, and then families are eager to know whether dementia caused by normal pressure hydrocephalus can be treated surgically?
To understand the treatment of normal pressure hydrocephalus, it is important to first recognize what normal pressure hydrocephalus is and what harm it can bring to a person’s health. Normal pressure hydrocephalus is also one of the more common types of hydrocephalus in clinical practice, and there are two major types: secondary and idiopathic. Although it shows ventricular enlargement, cerebrospinal fluid pressure measurement shows normal range. The main risks of normal pressure hydrocephalus are the “triad of symptoms”, namely gait instability, cognitive dysfunction and urinary incontinence.
1. Gait impairment, which is manifested by abnormal walking gait, small stride length, unstable walking, unstable foot lift, easy to fall, and sometimes needing assistance when walking outside.
2. Urinary incontinence, frequent and urgent urination, poor rest at night, seriously affecting the quality of sleep, and when the condition worsens, fecal incontinence may also occur.
3. Cognitive dysfunction, which starts with severe forgetfulness, slow reaction and speech impairment, slowly progresses to calculation impairment, observation loss and emotional indifference, and finally to severe mental disorder and dementia.
Although the clinical manifestations of normal pressure hydrocephalus are diverse, all of the above-mentioned conditions can be controlled through effective surgical treatment. Especially for dementia caused by normal pressure hydrocephalus, patients’ mental symptoms can be significantly improved by surgical treatment at present. Specialized cerebrospinal fluid techniques are widely carried out to treat various kinds of hydrocephalus, and many patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus have recovered normal cognitive function and good mental status after treatment.