ICP dynamics
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Intracranial Pressure Monitoring in Cerebrospinal Fluid Dynamics disorders: a retrospective observational study
IRAS ID
280571
Contact name
Ahmed Toma
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London Hospitals
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Continuous intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring has been used for decades for the management and monitoring of patients affected by severe traumatic brain injuries, its use in the elective setting is more recent and is employed by few centres investigating patients with chronic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics disorders including: hydrocephalus, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, low CSF pressure/volume syndromes, Chiari malformation and normal pressure hydrocephalus.
The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (London, UK) has introduced the routine use of continuous ICP monitoring for the diagnosis and management of elective patients with suspected abnormal CSF dynamics almost 20 years ago. A standardised local protocol for ICP data collection, analysis and interpretation has been built on the basis of this experience. Counting about 800 patients investigated at our centre, this provides the unique opportunity to describe the characteristics of ICP in patients affected by chronic CSF dynamics disorders.
This is a single centre retrospective observational study with the primary objective of describing the ICP characteristics of patients affected by different chronic CSF dynamics disorders including: hydrocephalus, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, low CSF pressure/volume syndromes, Chiari malformation and normal pressure hydrocephalus. Further questions that the study will address are: (a) What’s the effect of treatments on ICP? (b) What are the brain and spine imaging characteristics associated with ICP?
ICP monitoring results, imaging findings and data on clinical presentation, will be retrospectively collected and analysed or patients who underwent continuous ICP monitoring at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in the last 20 years. Participants’ clinical management will not be affected in any way.
CSF dynamics disturbances are not uncommon and are often accompanied by debilitating symptoms going from daily headaches to irreversible loss of vision (e.g. IIH). Additionally, they have an important financial impact on the health care system. A better understanding of the ICP dynamics has the potential to improve the diagnosis and management of patients affected by CSF dynamics disturbances. Moreover, the outcomes of this study will provide information that are essential for the design of future research studies and the identification of key research priorities.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/NE/0127
Date of REC Opinion
11 May 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion