[Infusion test in the normal pressure hydrocephalus (author's transl)].

Continuous monitoring of the intracranial pressure and ventricular infusion test were carried out in 13 cases in which normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) was suspected. The infusion test was performed by intraventricular bolus injection of 8 ml of saline. The result was collated with the effect of shunting operation, which was judged by means of the improvement in the clinical symptoms and the amplitude of contingent negative variation. The excellent effect of shunting operation was obtained in the patients who showed the T of more than 200 sec, the compliance of less than 1.0 ml/mmHg, the conductance to outflow of less than 0.8 ml/mmHg/min and CSF outflow resistance of more than 15 mmHg/ml/min. In 3 cases out of the 5 effective cases, A or B wave was seen. However, appreciable variation of the values was shown among the cases so that it was concluded that the all-round-consideration must be done to select the case for the shunting operation with the findings in RI-cisternography, pneumoencephalography, computerized tomography and so on. This fact might indicate the existence of the complicated pathophysiology in NPH resulted from not only the impairment of cerebrospinal fluid circulation but also the disturbance of cerebral blood flow, changes in plasticity of the brain and so on.