"Hydrocephalus 2006" will address neurosurgical, neurological, pediatric, psychiatric, psychological and other aspects of pediatric and adult hydrocephalus and related disorders.

Each session will last 90 minutes, opening with a 10 minute introduction outlining the state of the art and ongoing debates, followed by a series of 10 + 3 minute oral presentations, and ending with a summary and thoughts on future directions for research by the chairperson. Each session will also cover one or two controversies or questions in the field. There might be several sessions on a certain topic. Paediatric and adult hydrocephalus might be discussed separately when convenient. On the last day of the meeting, the chairpersons will briefly summarise their sessions at a summary session.

Suggested controversies or questions for the sessions include:
Definition and classification:
•	How should we define and classify hydrocephalus.
•	Papers on incidence and prevalence are welcome.

Symptoms and signs:
•	What are the characteristic symptoms in paediatric and adult hydrocephalus?
•	Can the symptoms be quantified?
•	Symptoms to be included in a scale for normal pressure hydrocephalus will be discussed.
•	Chronic compensated hydrocephalus (LOVA) will be addressed.
•	Papers on motor and postural dysfunction, endocrine and other related symptoms are welcome.

Neuropsychology:
•	The diagnostic and predictive value of different tests.
•	Suggestions for a neuropsychological test battery to be used in the diagnosis and follow-up of hydrocephalus will be discussed.
•	Papers on psychological and psychiatric symptoms are welcome.

Foetal and neonatal hydrocephalus:
•	Intrauterine diagnostics and treatment.
•	Can hydrocephalus be prevented?

Pathophysiologi (paediatric and adult):
•	What are the mechanisms behind ventricular enlargement?
•	What role does small vessel disease play in the pathogenesis?
•	What are the causes of the characteristic symptoms?
•	Alzheimer’s co-morbidity in Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.

Experimental hydrocephalus:
•	What are the metabolic and structural effects on the neuronal tissue?
•	Can we use models for testing treatment strategies?

Differential diagnosis:
•	What are the important clinical signs and laboratory tests for diagnosing different disorders with subcortical symptoms?
•	How can subcortical vascular dementia and multiple system atrophy be differentiated from hydrocephalus?

Diagnostic methods:
•	What is the diagnostic value of morphological and functional imaging, CSF dynamics, and CSF and brain metabolic studies?
•	What methods should we recommend for routine evaluation?

Treatment:
•	What are the indications for ETV?
•	How should programmable valves be used?
•	Is there room for drug treatment for hydrocephalus?

Complications:
•	What are the most common complications associated with ETV and shunt surgery, and how can we avoid them?

Organisation of hydrocephalus care units:
•	How should we best arrange the transition for the hydrocephalus patients leaving the unit regarding their continued care and rehabilitation?
•	How shall we organise transition for care?

Outcome including cost-benefit analysis:
•	How should we measure improvement, long-term effect of treatment, quality of life and the socio-economic effect of treatment?

Papers on other subjects are welcome and special sessions will be arranged depending on the submitted abstracts. Sessions on idiopathic intracranial hypertension and developmental neural tube defects including syringomyelia are planned.