NCT07103681 · RECRUITING
White Matter Distortion and Dementia Biomarkers in Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH)
This study looks at older adults with normal pressure hydrocephalus, a condition where extra fluid builds up in the brain and affects walking, bladder control and thinking. Researchers use MRI, biopsies and wearable monitors to learn why some people improve after a shunt and others do not. The phase is unspecified. It is an observational-style study, not a test of a new treatment.
Eligibility criteria
Group 1 (communicating hydrocephalus): Inclusion Criteria: * Adult patients >60 * With gait apraxia * With or without cognitive impairment * Urinary dysfunction * Communicating Hydrocephalus Exclusion Criteria: * Asymptomatic hydrocephalus * High pressure-hydrocephalus * Serious head injury within 5 years of presentation or a clear secondary cause (e.g. brain infection) * History of childhood gait disturbance * Clear alternative explanation for symptoms (e.g. Parkinson's disease with limb rigidity, peripheral neuropathy with sensory ataxia, cervical myelopathy). * Too frail for shunt surgery * Medically unstable (e.g. active angina, respiratory disease, recurrent delirium, active epilepsy). * Unable to tolerate MRI brain imaging * Unable to have a lumbar puncture * Immobile * Unable to attend the hospital for study visits Group 2 (asymptomatic and non-hydrocepahlus dementia and healthy controls): Inclusion Criteria (Any of the following): * Healthy Carers * Members of the Public * Staff of Imperial College/ICHT * Non-NPH Dementias (including Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia) * Asymptomatic Hydrocephalus Exclusion Criteria: - Unable to attend the hospital for study visits
The sponsor's own eligibility wording, lightly reformatted. The study team makes the final eligibility decision — worth discussing with your doctor.
Eligibility criteria as of 2026-03-27