{"id":142824,"date":"2025-05-29T23:35:53","date_gmt":"2025-05-30T03:35:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=142824"},"modified":"2025-05-29T23:35:53","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T03:35:53","slug":"st-lukes-center-for-neuroscience-helps-those-with-same-illness-as-billy-joel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=142824","title":{"rendered":"St. Luke\u2019s Center for Neuroscience Helps Those with Same Illness as Billy Joel"},"content":{"rendered":"

St. Luke\u2019s Center for Neuroscience Helps Those with Same Illness as Billy Joel<\/strong><\/p>\n

This week Billy Joel canceled his concert tour because of little known medical condition called normal pressure hydrocephalus, or NPH.<\/p>\n

The good news for fans of the 76-year-old \u201cPiano Man\u201d singer is that he has no plans to retire and he won\u2019t have to with proper treatment.<\/p>\n

And the good news for people who have NPH is that it is treatable.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt St. Luke\u2019s Center for Neuroscience, we have extensive experience treating normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH),\u201d said neurosurgeon Craig Goldberg, MD.<\/p>\n

NPH is a condition, seen in adulthood, where the fluid that surrounds the brain and the spine, called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), is unable to drain, but without any increase in pressure on the brain. This can affect hearing, vision and balance.<\/p>\n

NPH typically occurs later in life, usually around the age of 70. About 0.2% of people ages 70-80 are diagnosed with it, and that increased to 5.9% for people over the age of 80. People who have had a brain infection, head injury, brain tumor or brain surgery are more at risk for NPH.<\/p>\n

There are three main symptoms of NPH, Dr. Goldberg explained:<\/p>\n