What to find out about Billy Joel’s mind situation : NPR

Billy Joel canceled the remainder of his summer time concert events and introduced that he has a mind situation known as regular stress hydrocephalus.

“I am sincerely sorry to disappoint our viewers, and thanks for understanding,” Joel, 76, informed followers in a put up to social media on Friday.

The situation has prompted issues with Joel’s “listening to, imaginative and prescient and steadiness,” in response to the assertion, and his medical doctors suggested him in opposition to performing as a result of it has exacerbated these signs. Joel is present process bodily remedy and says he hopes to return to the stage someday.

The situation is treatable, however underdiagnosed, medical doctors inform NPR.

By going public along with his analysis, the musician may assist others, says Dr. Charles Matouk, vice chair of scientific affairs on the division of neurosurgery at Yale Faculty of Drugs.

“Billy Joel is extremely courageous,” Matouk says. “Extra individuals are going to be alerted to this drawback and possibly get the assistance they want sooner.”

Listed here are three issues to find out about regular stress hydrocephalus (NPH).

1. It occurs when cerebrospinal fluid builds up within the mind

In wholesome individuals, the physique makes about half a liter of cerebrospinal fluid a day, says Dr. Gayatri Devi, director of Park Avenue Neurology in Manhattan. The fluid has a number of features, together with cushioning the mind in opposition to the onerous, bony cranium, transporting vitamins and eradicating waste.

Usually, the fluid will get reabsorbed by massive veins within the head, nevertheless it does not at all times occur that means in individuals who have regular stress hydrocephalus.

“What can generally occur is there are some slim bottleneck components of the system,” Devi says. “And generally in these areas, you possibly can have some construct up over time, as we grow old, of proteins and different substances and that causes the fluid to again up.”

This “sludge” that causes the buildup is not effectively understood, nevertheless it is not a part of regular growing older, says Matouk of Yale.

“As a result of your cranium is a closed field, the water wants a means out or else stress’s going to construct up,” he says.

Regardless of elevated stress on the mind, it is known as regular stress hydrocephalus as a result of it occurs so slowly that it stays inside the regular vary, in response to the Cleveland Clinic.

2. Signs are straightforward to overlook

The telltale indicators of regular stress hydrocephalus are issues with strolling, cognitive signs and urinary incontinence. However since sufferers who’ve it are normally over 60, they will appear like regular indicators of growing older.

“All of us have grandmas and grandpas which have hassle strolling as a result of they’ve unhealthy hips and knees and their again hurts,” Matouk says. “Each women and men, as you grow old, are going to start out having hassle controlling their bladder. … You are going to have hassle together with your reminiscence.”

However when all three occur on the similar time and progressively worsen, that must be an indication that one thing will not be regular.

That stated, it does not at all times occur that means.

“What makes issues much more difficult is individuals do not should have all three,” Devi says. “They may simply have the urinary drawback. They may simply have the gait drawback. They may simply have the reminiscence drawback.”

What’s extra, generally the motion issues are misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s illness, and the cognitive issues are misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s. (Although Matouk cautions that Alzheimer’s dementia is completely different from the form of dementia that arises from untreated regular stress hydrocephalus over time.)

As soon as regular stress hydrocephalus is suspected, diagnosing it normally includes a CT scan or a mind MRI. Docs who spoke with NPR stated they have not had problem getting insurance coverage to pay for the testing.

Nevertheless, as a result of some radiologists do not know methods to spot it, it may be onerous to get a analysis, says Dr. Ryan Lee, assistant professor of neurosurgery at Vanderbilt College Medical Heart. “It does take some persistence on the a part of the one that ordered the check or the household and the affected person” to ensure the pictures are evaluated by a specialist, he says.

The subsequent check is normally a lumbar puncture, or spinal faucet, during which medical doctors insert a needle into the spinal canal to gather some spinal fluid. Then they ask the affected person and their members of the family if any signs have modified. “We even have the bodily therapist consider earlier than and after,” Lee says, to keep away from any form of placebo impact.

3. It is treatable

To alleviate stress on the mind, medical doctors carry out a surgical procedure that includes drilling a gap into the cranium and inserting a shunt into the mind to empty the surplus fluid to be absorbed by one other a part of the physique — normally the stomach.

“As a result of the fluid is getting made constantly, you want one thing that constantly drains the fluid,” says Devi of Park Avenue Neurology.

Surgical procedure is not for everybody and carries dangers, like an infection, however sufferers can normally go dwelling the following day, she says. The sooner regular stress hydrocephalus is caught and handled, the higher.

The surgical procedure is not a treatment, however “the response may be actually exceptional,” says Lee of Vanderbilt.

“Sufferers can go from being in a wheelchair and never capable of stroll and never capable of assume very clearly or keep in mind a lot to having the ability to stroll nearly usually and having an enchancment of their cognition and high quality of life considerably,” he says.

Matouk cautioned that cognitive signs have a tendency to enhance much less dramatically than the opposite signs.

Nonetheless, Matouk, who’s finding out a new, much less invasive process for these sufferers, hopes consciousness of this situation will assist sufferers advocate for themselves.

“There’s only a few issues in drugs the place we are able to reverse signs or enhance signs, and it is a illness the place that is attainable,” he says. “So, it is a disgrace if it is missed — and it usually is, for months or years, till the right analysis is arrived at.”