Background

Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus is a potentially reversible cause of gait disturbance, cognitive impairment, and urinary incontinence, typically in adults aged 60 years or older. Ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery improves symptoms but is associated with complications and reoperations, and no pharmacological treatment has been proven effective. We aimed to assess whether acetazolamide improves gait in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus awaiting shunt surgery.

Methods

In this investigator-initiated, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial (DRAIN) at Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden, we enrolled adults aged 50-82 years with probable idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus according to international criteria and characteristic imaging findings, including ventriculomegaly with a narrow callosal angle or disproportionately enlarged subarachnoid space hydrocephalus. Other key inclusion criteria were a Mini-Mental State Examination score greater than 20 or a cognitive domain score on the idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus grading scale greater than 30. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) using a computer-generated permuted block randomisation to low-dose acetazolamide or matching placebo, given orally after individualised titration up to 250 mg twice daily, and continued treatment until admission for shunt surgery or for a maximum of 9 months. The primary outcome was change in a composite gait score (10 m walk, Timed Up and Go, and 3 m backward walk) from baseline to the end-of-treatment visit, and was assessed in all randomly assigned participants with baseline and at least one post-baseline gait assessment (modified intention-to-treat population). Safety was assessed by adverse events, treatment discontinuations, and laboratory monitoring, and was assessed in all randomly assigned participants. Analyses used linear regression adjusted for prespecified covariates or Fisher's exact test. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04975269, and is completed.

Findings

Between Feb 17, 2022, and Nov 18, 2024, 119 patients were screened and 50 were randomly assigned (median age 76 years [IQR 73-79]; 30 [60%] males and 20 [40%] females) to acetazolamide (n=25) or placebo (n=25); 41 patients (20 in the acetazolamide group and 21 in the placebo group) were included in the modified intention-to-treat analysis. In the modified intention-to-treat population, median time to end-of-treatment visit was 121 days (IQR 58-200) with acetazolamide versus 187 days (115-214) with placebo. At the end-of-treatment visit, acetazolamide did not improve gait compared with placebo: the adjusted between-group difference in change in the composite gait score was 0 & centerdot;09 units (95% CI-3 & centerdot;61 to 3 & centerdot;79, p=0 & centerdot;96). Adverse events were more frequent with acetazolamide: 20 (80%) of 25 patients versus 15 (60%) of 25 with placebo had at least one event, and nine (36%) versus two (8%) discontinued treatment because of adverse events. Four serious adverse events occurred (urinary tract infection and venous thrombosis in the acetazolamide group and pulmonary embolism with pneumonia and a transient loss of consciousness in the placebo group), and none was considered to be related to study treatment.

Interpretation

Acetazolamide did not improve gait compared with placebo in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus and was poorly tolerated. These findings do not support the use of acetazolamide as routine pharmacological treatment for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus.

Funding

Swedish Society for Medical Research, Swedish Society of Medicine, Neuro Sweden, Region Uppsala, Thureus Foundation for Geriatric Research, and Swedish Brain Foundation.

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