ABSTRACT
Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is known to cause an enormous impairment to the quality of life and impact in the health system; meanwhile, studies show that in the coming years, the number of affected individuals will continue to grow. It is also believed that amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) could represent an early symptomatic form of AD, which precedes dementia. Methods: The present study aimed to evaluate the intracranial pressure (ICP) through a noninvasive method in patients with AD and MCI, seeking for differences when compared to healthy elderlies. This is a cross-sectional, correlational, and observational study of a quantitative character, carried out in a Brazilian city, with patients from the ANEC of the UFSCar. Results: It was found a statistically significant difference between the ICP morphology when analyzing the results in patients with AD and MCI, compared to healthy volunteers. It is known that dementias means a progressive disorder that leads to the loss of independency and function of the patient, although, it is believed that it can be found early ICP alterations in these patients. Nevertheless, considering this is an unprecedent study, it was not possible to compare results with previous studies and literatures. However, the study has a limitation related to the sample size; an expansion of it could possibility lead to different findings. Conclusion: The findings through the ICP measurement could indicate an early diagnosis, which would lead to an early treatment and an improvement in the quality of life of patients with AD. Thus, further investigation and widening studies are encouraged.
ABSTRACT
brain4care, a new Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared non-invasive sensor that monitors intracranial pressure waveforms, was used in a 13-year-old girl who presented with untreatable headaches. The patient had a history of craniopharyngioma resection and a ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement 7 years prior to the use of the device. Secondary obstructive hydrocephalus was also a present factor in the case. The hypothesis was that due to the hydrocephalus, the child presented chronic headaches and needed constant readjustment into the ventriculoperitoneal shunt to regulate the cerebrospinal fluid inside her ventricles in order to control the patient's intracranial pressure (ICP). The device was chosen considering the risks to submit a patient into the regular invasive method to measure ICP. It was identified that the device could also indicate altered intracranial compliance due to the ratio between the P1 and P2 amplitudes (P2/P1 ratio > 1).
