DISTURBANCES OF CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID (CSF) CIRCULATION - NEUROPSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS AND NEURORADIOLOGICAL CONTRIBUTION

The present study aimed at relating dementia, pseudo-neurasthenic and affective organic brain syndromes to underlying type of CSF flow disor der and to subsequent alteration of anatomy. T2-weighted magnetic res onance imaging (MRI) in the midsagittal plane permitted an analysis of aqueductal CSF flow phenomena and hydrocephalus-induced elevation, th inning and dorsal impingement of the corpus callosum. Furthermore, the width of the third ventricle was measured on the transverse scout ima ges. 72 patients with communicating hydrocephalus (increased aqueducta l CSF pulsations) and 26 patients with aqueductal stenosis (absence of aqueductal flow phenomena) were compared with 22 controls. Dementia a nd affective disorders were distributed equally among both CSF flow su bgroups whereas pseudo-neurasthenic syndromes were observed more frequ ently in non-communicating hydrocephalus (p < 0.03). Alzheimer-type an d multiinfarct dementia syndromes were found more frequently in commun icating hydrocephalus whereas non-classifiable dementia showed some pr edilection for non-communicating hydrocephalus. Callosal height, area and third ventricular width did not predict affective or pseudo-neuras thenic disorder whereas third ventricular width (p < 0.01) and callosa l area (p < 0.05) discriminated between demented and non-demented pati ents. Dorsal impingement of the corpus callosum by the fair was a non- specific finding.