The neuropsychology of patients with clinically diagnosed idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the neuropsychological performance of patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (INPH) with that of healthy individuals and to examine its relation to neurological signs, vascular comorbidity, and background factors.

METHODS

A consecutive series of 58 patients with INPH underwent neurological, neuroradiological, and neuropsychological examinations. The neuropsychological tests, measuring vigilance, fine movements of the hands, learning, working memory, and aspects of executive functioning, were also administered to 108 healthy individuals.

RESULTS

Patients performed worse than healthy individuals on all included tests. Significant correlations between test results were more frequent and stronger among patients and the degree of neuropsychological impairment was related to the severity of other signs of INPH. Patients with vascular risk factors performed worse than those without.

CONCLUSION

The neuropsychological deficits in INPH are widely distributed, interrelated, associated with neurological signs, and aggravated by vascular comorbidity.