Saccadic Eye Movements in Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus(SEM-NPH) Trial
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Are saccadic eye movements affected by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage in normal pressure hydrocephalus and might any observed changes be of value in predicting outcome following CSF diversion as a means of treating this condition?
IRAS ID
106590
Contact name
Graham Flint
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Head of Research and Development (Governance)
Research summary
Excessive fluid in the brain (Hydrocephalus) can be caused by head injury, brain infection and stroke. Normally any excess brain fluid is absorbed by blood vessels inside the brain. In hydrocephalus, the fluid cannot be absorbed and the condition causes the pressure within the brain to rise and a set of recognised symptoms in combination: memory loss, difficulty walking and involuntary urination. In some cases, for unknown reasons, hydrocephalus can cause the set of recognised symptoms but without a pressure rise. This is known as: Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus(NPH).
In standard care (normal clinical practise), someone with these set of symptoms would undergo a lumbar infusion studies and a spinal tap test. If following this, the individual showed improvement in their clinical function, they would undergo a procedure to drain excess fluid from the brain using a tube (shunt) within 8 weeks.Saccadic eye movement is rapid jumps of eye movement from one position to another. It helps us see objects without moving our heads and depicts a complex connection between various parts of the brain and the brain stem. It is an indication of overall, global brain function. Our hypothesis is that in patients with symptomatic NPH, this eye movement is impaired. We propose to record saccadic eye movement, using a computer screen with inbuilt eye-tracker: before, immediately after and 2 weeks post standard care(at a follow-up appt)to see if there is any improvement in eye movement. The recording of the eye movement would be a non-invasive, physiological test taking about 10 minutes. From this, we may be able to improve our overall diagnostic accuracy of the condition and hope to replace an invasive procedure (lumbar infusion study) with a non-invasive procedure (saccadic eye movement recording).
Participants will be assisted in completing a short survey to record general functional ability.REC name
West Midlands - Coventry & Warwickshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/WM/0230
Date of REC Opinion
26 Jul 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion