Bimanual Coordination: A Hidden Struggle for iNPH Patients

Have you ever struggled to use both hands at the same time? Now, imagine if this was a daily challenge. People with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus, or iNPH, face this very issue. This condition messes with the way cerebrospinal fluid flows, leading to balance and walking problems. You might think of it as a neurological disease that's really hard to fix. Previous studies have shown that people with iNPH have a tough time coordinating their hands. But this aspect of their struggle hasn't gotten much attention until now. A recent study looked into how people with iNPH use both hands at the same time, like when they tap their fingers. They were interested in how well the hands worked together, whether it was within one hand or between both hands. Using a simple finger-tapping task, researchers noticed some key differences. People with iNPH didn't seem to be able to sync their hands as well as people without iNPH. This is important because it hints at specific ways iNPH affects daily life skills. The takeaway? There's more to the iNPH story than just balance issues.