Fluid in the brain known as hydrocephalus is fairly common with aging, Elizabeth Tracey reports

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The singer Billy Joel recently announced he has normal pressure hydrocephalus, or NPH, a condition where fluid builds up in the brain and may cause a host of problems. Mark Luciano, a neurosurgeon and head of the CSF disorders group at Johns Hopkins, says the condition is more common than you may think, especially as people age.

Luciano: Hydrocephalus often appears that suddenly when they all of a sudden maybe have a fall. They may or may not at that time have any effects on their cognition or memory but often those involved in NPH we often see the walking problems earlier, that progresses not on a day-to-day basis. If you look at them every four months for example you'll be able to detect changes. We estimate that in the United States and in Europe less than 20% of patients who should be evaluated for NPH are. We realized that the problem is hard to distinguish from other aspects of aging and is greatly underreported.    :33 

Luciano says unlike dementia, NPH can usually be managed successfully. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.