Paola Guraieb-Chahín, Department of Neurology, The American British Cowdray Medical Center, Mexico City, Mexico
Arturo Cadena-Fernández, Department of Neurology, The American British Cowdray Medical Center, Mexico City, Mexico
Rodolfo Anzola-Arias, Department of Internal Medicine, The American British Cowdray Medical Center, Mexico City, Mexico
Laura Sanchez-García, Department of Radiology, The American British Cowdray Medical Center, Mexico City, Mexico
Estefanía Murrieta-Peralta, Department of Radiology, The American British Cowdray Medical Center, Mexico City, Mexico
Adriana Martínez-García-Ramos, Department of Audiology and Foniatry, The American British Cowdray Medical Center, Mexico City, Mexico
Sergio I. Valdés-Ferrer, Directorate of Health Research Policies, Ministry of Health, Mexico City, Mexico
Sergio Moreno-Jiménez, Radiosurgery Clinic, The American British Cowdray Medical Center, Mexico City, Mexico
Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of ventriculoperitoneal shunting (VPS) in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) through an exploratory pilot study with a retrospective cohort component. Methods: Clinical, cognitive, radiological, and auditory variables were assessed. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), whereas radiological measures included the Evans index, callosal angle, third ventricle size, and periventricular white matter hyperintensities. Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) and radiological assessments were collected prospectively, whereas clinical data were obtained retrospectively. Results: Eight patients were included, five of whom underwent VPS. Most VPS-treated patients showed improved MoCA scores, particularly in visuospatial, attention, executive, and language domains, whereas delayed recall remained unchanged. Radiological findings demonstrated reductions in the Evans index and third ventricle size, with widening of the callosal angle after VPS. OAE findings showed minimal post-operative changes. Patients without VPS exhibited no significant cognitive or radiological improvement. Conclusion: VPS may improve selected cognitive functions and radiological parameters in iNPH, although memory deficits may persist. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings and evaluate the long-term effectiveness of VPS.
Keywords: Normal pressure hydrocephalus. Ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Cognitive function. Otoacoustic emissions.
