Overview Of The Major Types Of Dementia

Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

Normal pressure hydrocephalus is a brain condition. It involves excessive amounts of cerebrospinal fluid building up in the ventricles of an individual's brain. Although there is this excessive amount of fluid, patients will still have normal pressure readings after a lumbar puncture. Unfortunately, as the fluid builds in the ventricles, they begin to enlarge. This will eventually damage surrounding tissues in the brain. The result of this are symptoms that resemble dementia, including reasoning and thinking problems and difficulty walking.

These symptoms are often why normal pressure hydrocephalus is often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's disease. Other individuals with this condition may be misdiagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Thankfully, however, normal pressure hydrocephalus is treatable. Many patients see some improvement with shunt surgery. This involves the placement of a shunt from their brain to their abdomen to drain the excess cerebrospinal fluid.

Continue reading to learn about more forms of dementia now.