Brain fluid analysis may predict shunt success in elderly
NCT ID NCT04998175
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study is investigating why some patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus (a condition that causes walking problems, memory loss, and incontinence) improve after a shunt surgery that drains extra fluid from the brain. Researchers will analyze proteins in the spinal fluid of 40 older adults before and after surgery, and compare them to healthy volunteers. The goal is to find biological markers that predict who will benefit from the procedure.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- ventriculoperitoneal shunt
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this research could help doctors predict which patients will benefit most from shunt surgery, improving treatment decisions.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage observational study, not a treatment trial. It may not identify clear predictors or lead to immediate changes in care.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2020
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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60 to 90 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥ 60 years; * Diagnosis of iNPH based on clinical assessment * Participant is able to give written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Combining AD and Parkinson's disease and other nervous system diseases * Participant is not medically available for shunt surgery * Secondary NPH
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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The second affliated hospital of zhejiang university
RECRUITINGHangzhou, Zhejiang, 310009, China
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a flash of UV light stop surgical infections?
- Brain shunt surgery put to the test in Placebo-Controlled trial
- New study aims to take the guesswork out of brain surgery for walking problems
- New study aims to sharpen diagnosis of brain fluid disorder in older adults
- New study tests gentler brain surgery for older patients
- Could a gentle brain zap boost memory in Alzheimer's and lewy body dementia?