Using Proteomics Analysis to Identify Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers in Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) is a neurological condition where there is enlarged ventricular size with normal opening pressure at lumbar puncture. Etiology is uncertain but it is presumed to occur from an imbalance in the production and/or absorption of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leading to expansion of the ventricles. Clinical features include gait dysfunction, cognitive impairments, bladder incontinence. Diagnosis is challenging, given a large overlap in clinical and neuroradiological features and co‐morbidity with other more common diseases of aging, especially Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Lewy body diseases. CSF amyloid and tau biomarkers can be helpful to identify AD pathology but do not exclude concurrent NPH. Currently, there are no biofluid biomarkers to assist in diagnosis of NPH. Here we describe a proteomic discovery pilot to identify candidate protein biomarkers associated with NPH.