Rehabilitation combined with ventriculoperitoneal shunt for patients with chronic normal pressure hydrocephalus due to aneurysm subarachnoid haemorrhage: a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to compare activities of daily living and cognitive function after 6 months' rehabilitation training with or without ventriculoperitoneal shunt in patients with chronic normal pressure hydrocephalus following aneurysm subarachnoid haemorrhage. PATIENTS AND METHODS Thirty-nine subjects diagnosed with chronic normal pressure hydrocephalus following aneurysm subarachnoid haemorrhage, based on clinical deterioration or non-improvement of gait ataxia, cognitive disturbance, and/or urinary incontinence during rehabilitation, were included in the study. A treatment group (n = 24) underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt operation, and a control group (n = 15) did not undergo the operation. RESULTS Following the operation there was a significant difference in Barthel Index scores between treatment and control groups at 1 month (p<0.01) and 6 month follow-ups (p<0.01) in the treatment group. CONCLUSION Rehabilitation alone did not result in improvements in patients with chronic normal pressure hydrocephalus, but rehabilitation combined with ventriculoperitoneal shunt resulted in improvements in activities of daily living and cognitive function. The importance of early diagnosis of chronic normal pressure hydrocephalus is stressed.