Development of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the "Grading scale for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus": cross-cultural adaptation, reliability and validity.

Objective: The current study translated to Portuguese and validated the normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) scale originally developed in English as the Grading Scale for Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.

Methods: Following Guillemin's validation protocol, the last version of the Portuguese NPH scale was applied to 121 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus (73 men and 48 women) from the Group of Cerebral Hydrodynamics from July 2010 to March 2012.

Results: The mean age was 71.

Performance of the fixed pressure valve with antisiphon device SPHERA® in the treatment of normal pressure hydrocephalus and prevention of overdrainage.

Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is characterized by the triad of gait apraxia, dementia and urinary incontinence associated with ventriculomegaly and normal pressure of cerebrospinal fluid. Treatment is accomplished through the implantation of a ventricular shunt (VPS), however some complications are still frequent, like overdrainage due to siphon effect. This study analyses the performance of a valve with anti-siphon device (SPHERA®) in the treatment of patients with NPH and compares it with another group of patients with NPH who underwent the same procedure without anti-siphon mechanism (PS Medical® valve).

Role of endoscopic third ventriculostomy and ventriculoperitoneal shunt in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus: preliminary results of a randomized clinical trial.

Background: Currently, the most common treatment for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (INPH) is a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS), generally with programmable valve implantation. Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is another treatment option, and it does not require prosthesis implantation.

Objective: To compare the functional neurological outcome in patients after 12 months of treatment with INPH by using 2 different techniques: ETV or VPS.