Prof. Mats Tullberg, M.D., Ph.D

Professor of Neurology, Senior Consultant Neurologist, Director, Gothenburg Hydrocephalus Research Unit, University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska Academy, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden

Lecture Title: Strengthening collaboration between hydrocephalus organizations

Dr. Tullberg is a Professor of Neurology, Senior Consultant Neurologist, and Chief of the Adult Hydrocephalus Research Group and the Adult Hydrocephalus Care Program at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden. He has held positions as Chief of Department, Chief Medical Officer, and Acting Quality Director at Sahlgrenska University Hospital. He is the current President of the Hydrocephalus Society, a member of the Swedish Hydrocephalus Quality Registry board, and was the organizing president of the 14th Annual World Meeting of the Hydrocephalus Society, Hydrocephalus 2022 in Gothenburg.

Research area

Under his leadership, the Gothenburg Hydrocephalus Research Group has continued to conduct prospective clinical patient studies while also representing a highly specialized clinical center for adult hydrocephalus patients. Over the years, the group has collected and analyzed detailed epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory data—including CSF biomarkers, MRI neuroimaging, and 3D gait measurements—from patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH). The research group is engaged in a growing number of national and international multicenter studies with varying research objectives. These include investigations into clinical laboratory tests, the assessment of clinical symptoms using clinical scales, and studies focused on biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis, as well as epidemiological studies of incidence, prevalence, and risk factors for the development of disease. The group has developed the only specific clinical scale for iNPH that is both composite and designed to assess symptoms in different symptom domains and validated for this patient group. For years, studies of biomarkers for predicting outcomes after shunt surgery—a research field where breakthrough results are highly warranted—have been the number one focus of the research.