Dr. Jonathan Brisman Says Billy Joel’s “Brain Disorder” is Treatable

(May 27, 2025 – Rockville Centre, NY) According to many published reports, singer/songwriter and Hicksville native Billy Joel, 76, has cancelled all his upcoming concert appearances due to a recent diagnosis of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH). A relatively unknown condition, NPH occurs when there’s a gradual buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in a person’s skull which presses on their brain and disrupts such functions as memory and movement.

Board-certified, Long Island neurosurgeon Jonathan Brisman M.D., an attending neurosurgeon and senior partner at NSPC Brain & Spine Surgery (NSPC), points out that “NPH is often difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to other age-related conditions, including dementia, and treatment rarely involves medication.”

Dr. Brisman has successfully treated many people with NPH and he says Joel’s condition could be reversible. “Unlike other dementia-like diseases, when diagnosed early, NPH can usually be addressed by surgically implanting a programmable shunt that controls the flow of CSF and prevents the fluid from building up.” Dr. Brisman has performed this procedure at several local hospitals and says patients are usually discharged the day after surgery.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, NPH “affects about 0.2% of people between the ages of 70 and 80, and about 5.9% of people over 80.” NPH is most common in people over 65 years of age, and the condition becomes more common as people age.

A Nassau resident, Jonathan Brisman M.D., F.A.C.S., completed his neurosurgical training at Massachusetts General Hospital and has been in practice on Long Island since 2009. He sees patients at offices in Lake Success, Rockville Centre, and Manhattan.

To learn more about Dr. Brisman and NSPC Brain & Spine Surgery (NSPC), please visit www.nspc.com. To arrange an interview with Dr. Brisman, contact Richard Van Allen, email: rvanallen@nullnspc.com or call (516) 442-2250, Extension 2039.