Study aims to prevent blindness in patients with neurological condition

A new clinical trial being led by the University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust aims to identify the best surgical treatment option to prevent blindness in patients with a neurological condition. Funded by almost £1.5 million from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), it is hoped the research will lead to changes in healthcare policy for the treatment of patients with Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). Thus far, there is no known cause for the neurological condition, which increases intracranial pressure around the brain without the presence of tumour or disease. Common symptoms of IIH, which is strongly associated with weight, include headaches, visual loss, pulsatile tinnitus, and back and neck pain. If left untreated, the disorder can lead to blindness. The condition is managed with weight loss and medication, however, in severe cases that present as an emergency with decreasing vision, surgery is needed to prevent blindness. Currently two different types of surgeries - dural venous sinus stenting (stenting) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunting - are used to prevent blindness, however there have been no clinical trials to determine which is the best operation.