In addition to the above, we have found that VP diagnosis isn’t easy to achieve a high level of accuracy. As the husband and caregiver, here are the primary symptoms my wife has with her diagnosis of VP:

Serious Gait problems
Loss of Balance
Total Incontinence
Cognitive decline

She also suffers from constant high levels of pain. Pain that Pain Management medical personal tell us they do not know where the pain is coming from ( as did our Neurologists and Back Surgeon) .
All four VP symptoms rapidly worsened within 18 months.

We just returned from an exceptional experience at the Mayo Clinic.
They discovered a number of issues that our many doctors missed… even with similar tests.
One discovery is that she has NPH ( Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus). Excess fluid on the brain. It just so happens that the symptoms of NPH are:
Gait Problems
Balance Problems
Urinary Incontinence
Cognitive Decline
Same as VP. And this was the first we heard about it.
The findings were confirmed after scans showed excessive cerebrospinal fluid buildup in her brain and spinal cord.
Spinal cord scans also showed a “dead end” between L1 and L2, clogging the drainage of fluid that normally happens.
Spinal cord scans and brain scans were done a number of times prior to our recent visit. But those that reviewed them didn’t catch it.
So her conditions were not noticed for a period of at least 20 months or more.
And 20 months ago, she could walk using a cane, and her memory was much better. Today she just barely walks without help only if her arms and hands are touching something. Otherwise she’s confined to a chair or bed. And she can’t remember the name of our five day a week caregiver.
As an aside, Mayo also identified the two areas causing the pain. They will both require surgeries. And the fluid that can’t be drained with her spinal cord ending mid spine, that can be rerouted as well.
Summarizing my point is this. Diagnosis is often mistaken.it’s difficult . Don’t assume yours is correct. Carefully identify your symptoms. How and when they’ve progressed. Use AI to help identify other diagnoses possibilities. For without AI in my case, I wouldn’t have questioned the diagnosis we received December 24, 2024. And that diagnosis was the only one we received after many months of appointments with good, well meaning specialists for Parkinsons, Pain, Neourology, Back Surgeons, Pain implants, and Internal Medicine.