Private MD News

New lab test instrument evades botched diagnoses

Category: General Health

Likvor, a start-up Swedish medical device company has developed a mechanism that will likely result in more accurate lab test results and medical diagnoses in older adults.

The instrument, called CELDA, assess the orientation and condition of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. The new tool will be used for diagnosing a condition known as Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, which is often mistaken for dementia, Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.

NPH manifests itself in older adults who exhibit jerky movements, confusion, and urinary incontinence, and can be identified by examining the flow of cerebrospinal fluid.

When properly diagnosed, NPH can be treated with the insertion of a shunt which helps to normalize the flow and pressure of the patient's brain and spinal fluid, allowing the individual to carry on a normal life. However, studies have indicated that up to 10 percent of patients diagnosed with dementia actually suffer from NPH.

Kjell Öberg, Likvor´s CEO, touted the significance of CELDA stating, "Today many people receive the wrong diagnosis and therefore also the wrong treatment. Correct diagnosis and treatment of NPH means that patients can make a complete recovery."

Likvor will present CELDA at the Hydrocephaulus conference, which occurs from September 16 to 19 in Baltimore, Maryland. The conference is the largest in the field.