The gait of hydrocephalus is an apraxic gait or magnetic gait where the feet of the person with hydrocephalus appear glued or even stuck to the floor.
The gait with hydrocephalus is often slow, unsteady and wide based with short, shuffling steps.
The key characteristics of the gait of hydrocephalus include:
Magnetic foot placement, where the feet seem stuck or even have a hard time clearing the ground.
Short and shuffling, in which stride length is reduced significantly.
Slow speed, where walking velocity drops notably.
And impaired balance, where the person has a broad based stance with frequent unsteadiness and a high risk of falls.
And trouble starting or turning, where the person with hydrocephalus has difficulty initiating the first step or making turns.
Having a gait disturbance is also often the first and most prominent sign of hydrocephalus or NPH and it often also appears alongside of the classic clinical triad, which includes.
Urinary incontinence and cognitive impairment such as mild memory loss or executive dysfunction.
The three common signs of hydrocephalus include severe headaches, nausea or vomiting, and vision problems such as blurred or double vision.
In older adults with normal pressure hydrocephalus, the classic signs are difficulty walking, memory or thinking changes, and loss of bladder control.
Signs of hydrocephalus in Infants include:
Rapid increase in head size.
Bulging or tense soft spot on the head.
Eyes fixed downward. (sunsetting eyes)
Extreme sleepiness or irritability.
Signs of hydrocephalus in Older Children and Adults include:
Frequent headaches.
Nausea and throwing up.
Trouble with balance and walking.
Memory loss or confusion.
Someone with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) walks with a slow, unsteady, and wide-based gait often called a "magnetic gait".
Their feet appear stuck or glued to the floor, forcing them to take short, shuffling steps with a high risk of falling.
Characteristics of an NPH Gait in hydrocephalus include:
Magnetic feet: Feet seem heavy and attached to the ground, making it hard to lift them up.
Shuffling steps: Steps are very short, low to the ground, and lack normal bounce or fluid motion.
Wide stance: Feet are placed farther apart than normal to help keep balance.
Turning trouble: Difficulty making sharp turns or freezing in place when trying to move forward.
Imbalance: General unsteadiness that mimics being drunk or severely off-balance, often leading to frequent falls.