Abstract
Background: Idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) can resemble or
occur in combination with other brain disorders frequently present in the elderly such as
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).
Objective: To study the accuracy of a simplified callosal angle measure in
differentiating iNPH from DLB and AD using conventional brain MRI.
Methods: 76 patients (24 iNPH, 30 DLB, 22 AD) and 40 healthy controls served
as discovering cohort. The callosal angle measure was obtained on standard coronal brain
MRI images crossing the corpus callosum midpoint. 41 patients (21 iNPH and 20 DLB/AD) were
used as independent validation cohort. A set of other conventional MRI markers of iNPH was
also evaluated.
Results: iNPH showed a significantly decreased mean callosal angle value
compared to both disease groups and controls (iNPH = 109±9; DLB = 136.9±8.2;
AD = 135.4±11.3; Controls = 138.5±5.2; p < 0.00001). Using a cut off
angle of 123, derived by the mean -3SD of the control group, an accuracy of 96%
(sensitivity 100% , specificity 95.4% ) was obtained. By ROC analysis, the area under the
curve was 0.99 (95% CI: 0.97–1). The measure was consistent (intra-rater:
r = 0.94) and reproducible (inter-rater: r = 0.89). In
the validation cohort, this cut off angle value discriminated iNPH from DLB/AD with 97.5%
accuracy. None of the conventional MRI signs reached the same accuracy.
Conclusions: This simplified callosal angle measure represents an accurate,
reproducible, and easy marker of iNPH.
