The LMQ 20 questionnaire – A potential outpatient follow-up tool for iNPH patients treated with shunt placement
Maximilian Sitz (Berlin), Rebecca Heinz (Berlin), Marco Danne (Berlin), Johannes Lemcke (Berlin), Patrick Schuss (Berlin), Alexis Hadjiathanasiou (Berlin)
A new patient-oriented questionnaire is to be introduced for follow-up of patients suffering from idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) who have been treated with shunt placement. The Late-onset hydrocephalus Monitoring Questionnaire (LMQ 20) questionnaire is to be implemented as a self-assessment tool to detect worsening of symptoms at an early stage and to seek professional assistance.
A total of 43 outpatients received the LMQ 20 questionnaire between 07/2022 and 04/2023 prior to examination. The questionnaire was completed by the patients themselves and their accompanying relatives. The questionnaire explored bladder function, mobility and gait disturbances, mental and memory function and consists of 16 questions to be answered by the patients and 4 to be answered by an accompanying person. The LMQ 20 was then compared to the Kiefer score, which was determined by a physician. The subgroups of both questionnaires were dichotomized in good and poor function and subsequently compared with each other.
Overall, there were no significant differences between subgroup analysis with regard to the quantification of symptoms. The LMQ 20 and the Kiefer score provided comparable results in terms of iNPH symptoms. 51% of the patients in the LMQ 20 vs. 47% patients in the Kiefer score questionnaire showed symptoms of incontinence (p=0.67). 49% of the patients in the LMQ vs. 33% of the patients in the Kiefer score reported mobility and gait disturbances (p= 0.19). 9% of the patients in the LMQ 20 vs. 3% patients in the Kiefer score demonstrated relevant mental and memory function deficits (p=0.36).
The LMQ 20 is comparable with the Kiefer score for assessing the neurological status of patients with iNPH treated with shunt. The questions are formulated in such a way that no medical knowledge is required and therefore a simple assessment by the patients themselves seems feasible. The LMQ 20 may prove to be a valuable additional tool for the detection and monitoring of early neurological deterioration in iNPH outpatients.
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