Brain Disorder Forces Billy Joel to Cancel Concert Tour

Billy Joel, 76, has canceled the remainder of his summer tour after being diagnosed with a brain disorder called Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH).

“I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience and thank you for understanding,” Joel said in a press release, which noted that his recently diagnosed condition has worsened due to “recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance.”

Joel's doctors advised him to refrain from performing as he recovers. He is undergoing physical therapy to treat the condition.

Fans who bought tickets will automatically receive a refund via their original payment method.

Joel fell onstage during a February concert in Connecticut, but got back up to finish the set. In March, Joel took a break to have surgery, and he had intended to resume his concert tour in July.

“My health must come first,” Joel said at the time.​

What is NPH?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, NPH occurs when cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the skull and creates pressure on the brain. "It's a condition you can treat," says geriatric psychiatrist James M. Ellison, M.D. "I’ve seen people improve dramatically.”

Most patients are first diagnosed with NPH around the age of 70. ​The disorder is usually verified via a CT scan, MRI or spinal tap. To correct the condition, a shunt is surgically inserted into the brain to drain fluid.

It's estimated that more than 800,000 Americans have NPH, according to the Hydrocephalus Association. 

Symptoms of NPH​

“There are really three main symptoms" of NPH, says Michael A. Williams, M.D., director of Adult Hydrocephalus and CSF Disorders at the University of Washington. “Walking and balance impairment is No. 1. Some cognitive impairment is the second most common, and then bladder symptoms. The cognitive impairment is very different from what we see in Alzheimer’s disease or other causes of dementia, like FTD [frontotemporal dementia]. In those disorders, you don’t see gait impairment until very late in the dementia."

With hydrocephalus, he says, the gait problems usually come first. ​

Orly Avitzur, M.D., contributed to this report.