Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension News and Research

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Understanding the role of cerebral venous flow in idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a rare and poorly understood neurological disorder that affects 1 to 20 people per 100,000-most often women of childbearing age.

22 Jul 2026

Woman left blind by hospital failings wins £2.4 m NHS payout

A young woman who was left with permanent vision loss after hospital staff failed to diagnose a serious brain condition has won a £2.4 m legal settlement from the NHS.

13 May 2026

Hormonal contraception not associated with prevalence of idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Hormonal contraception, including birth control pills and intrauterine devices (IUDs), is not associated with an increased prevalence of a brain pressure disorder called idiopathic intracranial hypertension, according to a meta-analysis published on March 25, 2026, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

25 Mar 2026

MRI measures of glymphatic activity may improve noninvasive intracranial hypertension diagnosis

A new study led by investigators from Mass General Brigham shows that a brain waste- "clean-up" system is influenced by intracranial pressure.

27 Jan 2026

New study sheds light on vision loss in idiopathic intracranial hypertension

If untreated, a disorder of high brain pressure called idiopathic intracranial hypertension can lead to vision loss. But this disorder can develop without noticeable symptoms, making it hard to catch.

30 Oct 2025

Diabetes medication shows promise in cutting migraine days by more than half

A diabetes medication that lowers brain fluid pressure has cut monthly migraine days by more than half, according to a new study presented today at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2025.

20 Jun 2025

Injectable peptide used for type 2 diabetes shows potential for treating 'blinding' IIH headaches

Patients with 'blinding' headaches known as Idiopathic Intercranial Hypertension could be treated with an injectable peptide used for type 2 diabetes, a new trial has found.

13 Mar 2023

New imaging technique captures real-time brain motion in stunning detail

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) images are usually meant to be static. But now, researchers from Mātai Medical Research Institute (Mātai), Stevens Institute of Technology, Stanford University, the University of Auckland and other institutions, report on an imaging technique that captures the brain in motion in real time, in 3D and in stunning detail, providing a potential diagnostic tool for detecting difficult-to-spot conditions such as obstructive brain disorders and aneurysms - before they become life threatening.

6 May 2021

Bariatric surgery reduces brain pressure in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Weight loss surgery is more effective than dieting to reduce brain pressure that can cause blindness in patients with a neurological condition, finds a study led by the University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.

26 Apr 2021

Brain pressure disorder has increased dramatically, linked to obesity and deprivation

A brain pressure disorder that especially affects women, causing severe headaches and sometimes permanent sight loss, has risen six-fold in 15 years, and is linked to obesity and deprivation, a new study by Swansea University researchers has shown.

22 Jan 2021

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is on the rise, finds study

A new study has found a brain pressure disorder called idiopathic intracranial hypertension is on the rise, and the increase corresponds with rising obesity rates.

20 Jan 2021

Three experts from The Tinnitus Clinic contribute to major review on pulsatile tinnitus

Three specialists from the leading provider of tinnitus treatments in the UK have joined experts from Whipps Cross University Hospital to deliver a paper on the causes, assessment, and management of a less common but more troublesome form of the condition.

18 Jun 2018

Common obesity and diabetes drug could be used as novel way to lower brain pressure

Research led by the University of Birmingham, published today in Science Translational Medicine, has discovered that a drug commonly used to treat patients with either obesity or Type II diabetes could be used as a novel new way to lower brain pressure.

23 Aug 2017

Failure to accurately assess optic nerve drives IIH overdiagnosis

Researchers put overdiagnosis of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) down to inaccurate ophthalmoscopic examination in headache patients and wrongly suspecting the condition in young obese women with headaches.

7 Jan 2016

NIH-funded clinical trial aims to restore vision in people who have lost vision due to IIH

In an NIH-funded clinical trial, led at Saint Louis University by professor of ophthalmology Sophia Chung, M.D., researchers aim to bring sight back to those who have lost vision due to idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

29 Sep 2014

Study suggests healthcare professionals must be alert to rarer, severe causes of headaches during pregnancy

Most headaches in pregnancy and the postnatal period are benign, but healthcare professionals must be alert to the rarer and more severe causes of headaches, suggests a new review published today (23 May) in The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist (TOG).

23 May 2014

Glaucoma drug may help reverse obesity-related vision loss in women

An inexpensive glaucoma drug, when added to a weight loss plan, can improve vision for women with a disorder called idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

23 Apr 2014

Researchers investigate several non-invasive methods for measuring intracranial pressure

Do you ever turn your world upside down by standing on your head? After a few minutes you might feel some pressure in your face and around your skull. This is because headstands invert the body's blood flow, pushing more blood toward your head.

19 Dec 2013

New procedure to treat pseudotumor cerebri

A team of interventional neuroradiologists and neurosurgeons at Johns Hopkins reports wide success with a new procedure to treat pseudotumor cerebri, a rare but potentially blinding condition marked by excessive pressure inside the skull, caused by a dangerous narrowing of a vein located at the base of the brain.

13 Mar 2013

Non-invasive absolute intracranial pressure value meter shown to be accurate in clinical settings

The results of independent clinical assessment – prospective study of innovative non-invasive absolute intracranial pressure (ICP) value (mmHg) meter were recently published in the journal Neurology (The official journal of the American Academy of Neurology). This is the first prospective comparative clinical study of a non-invasive ICP measurement method that shows accuracy and precision which is acceptable for clinical practice.

5 Jul 2012