Subdural effusion protects the aging brain from harmful ventriculomegaly

If our hypothesis is correct, physicians should continue to maintain a conservative approach for uncomplicated SDE. For focal or global brain parenchymal loss caused by various pathologies, intracranial spacers can be employed to simulate the effect of SDE to protect the brain. For treatment of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus, aggressive ventricular size reduction should be pursued. Finally, the protective effects of SDE have its limits. Extremely enlarged subdural volume can cause acute or chronic subdural hematoma, further damaging the brain.