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Diagnosis of : Cephalgia
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Switching stable patients with schizophrenia from depot and oral antipsychotics to long-acting injectable risperidone: reasons for switching and safety.
Author(s): Hawley, C; Turner, M; Latif, MA; Curtis, V; Saleem, PT; Wilton, K
Journal: Hum Psychopharmacol 2010 Mar 2; Vol. 25, Issue 1; Page(s) 37-46
[Medline ID - 20041474]

OBJECTIVE: An international, non-randomised study evaluated efficacy and safety of risperidone long-acting injectable (RLAI) compared to previous treatment. To investigate generizability of the European data set to the UK subset safety and switching data are reported here. METHODS: Patients with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder, symptomatically stable on antipsychotic medication, received intramuscular injections of RLAI 25 mg (to a maximum of 50 mg) every 2 weeks for 6 months. RESULTS: Of 182 UK patients enrolled, 79% had schizophrenia, 21% other psychotic disorders. Insufficient efficacy (43%), side effects (45%), and non-compliance (25%) were the most common reasons for switching. Sixty-nine per cent of patients completed the trial; 8% discontinued due to adverse events (AEs). Most frequent treatment-emergent AEs were headache (8.2%), relapse (7.7%) and insomnia (7.1%); 8 (4.4%) patients reported injection-related AEs. There were significant improvements in extrapyramidal symptom rating scale total and subscale (particularly Parkinsonism) scores, regardless of previous medication (total cohort, p < or = 0.0001). There was a small but significant increase in body weight at endpoint (1.2 kg, p = 0.0023). One patient suffered a myocardial infarction and died (not treatment-related). There were no substantial differences between the full data set and the UK sub-population CONCLUSION: Switch to RLAI was well-tolerated in stable patients over 6 months. The European data set is generalizable to the UK patient population.

Improving the clinical diagnosis of influenza--a comparative analysis of new influenza A (H1N1) cases.
Author(s): Ong, AK; Chen, MI; Lin, L; Tan, AS; Nwe, NW; Barkham, T; Tay, SY; Leo, YS
Journal: PLoS One 2010 Mar 18; Vol. 4, Issue 12; Page(s) e8453
[Medline ID - 20041115]

BACKGROUND: The presentation of new influenza A(H1N1) is broad and evolving as it continues to affect different geographic locations and populations. To improve the accuracy of predicting influenza infection in an outpatient setting, we undertook a comparative analysis of H1N1(2009), seasonal influenza, and persons with acute respiratory illness (ARI) in an outpatient setting. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Comparative analyses of one hundred non-matched cases each of PCR confirmed H1N1(2009), seasonal influenza, and ARI cases. Multivariate analysis was performed to look for predictors of influenza infection. Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed for various combinations of clinical and laboratory case definitions. The initial clinical and laboratory features of H1N1(2009) and seasonal influenza were similar. Among ARI cases, fever, cough, headache, rhinorrhea, the absence of leukocytosis, and a normal chest radiograph positively predict for both PCR-confirmed H1N1-2009 and seasonal influenza infection. The sensitivity and specificity of current WHO and CDC influenza-like illness (ILI) criteria were modest in predicting influenza infection. However, the combination of WHO ILI criteria with the absence of leukocytosis greatly improved the accuracy of diagnosing H1N1(2009) and seasonal influenza (positive LR of 7.8 (95%CI 3.5-17.5) and 9.2 (95%CI 4.1-20.3) respectively). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The clinical presentation of H1N1(2009) infection is largely indistinguishable from that of seasonal influenza. Among patients with acute respiratory illness, features such as a temperature greater than 38 degrees C, rhinorrhea, a normal chest radiograph, and the absence of leukocytosis or significant gastrointestinal symptoms were all positively associated with H1N1(2009) and seasonal influenza infection. An enhanced ILI criteria that combines both a symptom complex with the absence of leukocytosis on testing can improve the accuracy of predicting both seasonal and H1N1-2009 influenza infection.

A more detailed classification of mild head injury in adults and treatment guidelines.
Author(s): Lee, YB; Kwon, SJ
Journal: J Korean Neurosurg Soc 2009 Dec 31; Vol. 46, Issue 5; Page(s) 451-8
[Medline ID - 20041055]

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze risk factors that are associated with intracranial lesion, and to propose criteria for classification of mild head injury (MHI), and appropriate treatment guidelines. METHODS: The study was based on 898 patients who were admitted to our hospital with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 13 to 15 between 2003 and 2007. The patients' initial computerized tomography (CT) findings were reviewed and clinical findings that were associated with intracranial lesions were analyzed. RESULTS: GCS score, loss of consciousness (LOC), age and skull fracture were identified as independent risk factors for intracranial lesions. Based on the data analysed in this study, MHI patients were divided into four subgroups : very low risk MHI patients are those with a GCS score of 15 and without a history of LOC or headache; low risk MHI patients have a GCS score of 15 and with LOC and/or headache; medium risk MHI patients are those with a GCS score of 15 and with a skull fracture, neurological deficits or with one or more of the risk factors; high risk MHI patients are those with a GCS score of 15 with abno rmal CT findings and GCS score of 14 and 13. CONCLUSION: A more detailed classification of MHI based on brain CT scan findings and clinical risk factors can potentially improve patient diagnosis. In light of our findings, high risk MHI patients should be admitted and treated in same manner as those with moderate head injury.

Management of medication overuse headache.
Journal: Drug Ther Bull 2010 Apr 7; Vol. 48, Issue 1; Page(s) 2-6
[Medline ID - 20427444]

Headache is one of the most frequent reasons for medical consultation in both general practice and specialist neurology clinics.1 Prescribed and over-the-counter medications are taken to alleviate headaches, but may be used incorrectly.2 In particular, use of some drugs both frequently and regularly can have a paradoxical effect, causing headaches rather than relieving them, and leading to medication overuse headache (MOH).3 Such overuse is a common cause of frequent headache. Here we review MOH and its management.

Primary angioleiomyoma in the sellar region: a case report and literature review.
Author(s): Xu, Y; Jing, Y; Ma, S; Ma, F; Wang, Y; Ma, W; Li, Q
Journal: Clin Neuropathol 2010 Mar 20; Vol. 29, Issue 1; Page(s) 21-5
[Medline ID - 20040329]

OBJECTIVE: Angioleiomyoma (vascular leiomyomas, angiomyoma) is a rare, benign soft tissue tumor which consists of a mixture of well-differentiated smooth muscle cells and thick-walled vessels. Here we report a case of angioleiomyoma in the sellar region, which is the first case report of angioleiomyoma at this anatomical location. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 53-year-old man was admitted with a medical history of three months episodic headache and one month visual deterioration, both of which progressed gradually. The neurological examination showed nothing remarkable except a slightly decreased adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) level. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging revealed a pituitary apoplexy. G ross total resection of the tumor was then performed. PATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS: Histological and immunohistochemical studies showed a typical microscopic appearance of an angioleiomyoma present in a rather uncommon place. The pertinent literature regarding the features of this tumor was reviewed and discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Intracranial angioleiomyoma is a benign soft tissue tumor with excellent prognosis. Early diagnosis of this tumor is difficult.

What do we know about chronic tension-type headache?
Author(s): Fern; ández-de-Las-Peñas, C
Journal: Discov Med 2010 May 21; Vol. 8, Issue 43; Page(s) 232-6
[Medline ID - 20040276]

In the past few years there has been an increasing body of knowledge about etiological mechanisms of chronic tension type headache (CTTH), permitting a better understanding of this syndrome. It seems that CTTH diagnostic criteria should be modified to improve its differential diagnosis against migraine, since CTTH is a syndrome of "featureless" headaches characterized by nothing but pain in the head. It has been demonstrated that pressure pain hypersensitivity and pericranial muscle tenderness are both consequence and not causative factors of CTTH. An updated pain model has suggested that CTTH can be explained by referred pain from trigger points (TrPs) in the cranio-cervical muscles, mediated through the spinal cord and the trigeminal nerve nucleus caudalis. Different therapeutic strategies (pharmacological and non-pharmacological) are generally used for the management of these patients. CTTH is generally treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), tricyclic antidepressants, and physical therapy, although the therapeutic efficacy of these approaches is controversial.

Headache: what do children and mothers expect from pediatricians?
Author(s): Raieli, V; Compagno, A; Pandolfi, E; La Vecchia, M; Puma, D; La Franca, G; Ragusa, D
Journal: Headache 2010 Aug 19; Vol. 50, Issue 2; Page(s) 290-300
[Medline ID - 20039963]

BACKGROUND: Headache is a frequent occurrence among children and adolescents, and one of the most common causes of medical consultation. While serious conditions presenting headache as the chief complaint are not common in the pediatric population, enormous sums are invested to perform very expensive and often unnecessary diagnostic investigations. Pediatricians should adopt a flexible and diversified diagnostic/therapeutic approach and, at the same time, should not forget to take into consideration the demands, expectations, and worries of children and their parents. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess simultaneously children's and mothers' expectations from the pediatric consultation concerning headache, and pediatricians' opinions about said expectations. In addition, we attempted to investigate mothers', children's, and pediatricians' opinions about symptomatic and prophylactic treatment of headache. METHOD: A total of 100 young headache sufferers, 50 were male and 50 were female, from 10 to 16 years of age, were enrolled in this study. Two diversified, self-administered, ad hoc questionnaires about their expectations from the pediatric treatment of headache and about symptomatic and prophylactic treatment were delivered to each patient and their mother, to which they responded separately. A third self-administered questionnaire was delivered to a sample of 50 pediatricians. RESULTS: Our study showed that children and their mothers sometimes have different expectations about the consultation of the pediatrician and of the headache specialist. Frequency of pain was the main reason for pediatric consultation for 70% of mothers, whereas only 2% of them (as opposed to what pediatricians believed) consulted the pediatrician because they were worried about a tumor. Moreover, a high percentage of children and mothers expected from the pediatric consultation to be reassured that it is not a serious illness and to find out the causes of headache (60% and 47%, and 45% and 62%, respectively). A total of 26% of children wanted to know the progression of headache in the future, but only 3% of mothers shared the same demand. With regard to their expectations, pediatricians agree only in part with children and their mothers. On the contrary, the majority of children (68%), mothers (49%), and pediatricians (90%) agree that a symptomatic treatment was necessary in the presence of a severe pain. In addition, 61% of children, 37% of mothers, and 74% of pediatricians believed that a prophylactic treatment was necessary when the pain is severe and long-lasting. CONCLUSION: Pediatricians sometimes do not consider sufficiently children's and mothers' wishes and expectations and, consequently, could limit the outcome of their diagnostic-therapeutic approach. This is particularly important because, in the developmental age, an accurate recognition of patients' and parents' expectations represents an essential requirement fo r a favorable outcome of the consultation.

The "repeater" phenomenon in migraine patients: a clinical and psychometric study.
Author(s): Villani, V; Di Stani, F; Vanacore, N; Scattoni, L; Cerbo, R; Bruti, G
Journal: Headache 2010 Aug 19; Vol. 50, Issue 3; Page(s) 348-56
[Medline ID - 20039961]

BACKGROUND: Headache is one of the most common symptoms in an emergency department (ED), while migraine is the most frequently observed headache in this setting. The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of clinical and psychometric variables on the repeater phenomenon, ie, patients who make at least 3 visits to the ED at least 1 week apart during a 6-month period. METHODS: According to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edition (ICHD-II) criteria, we consecutively recruited Italian-speaking migraine subjects who came to the ED or outpatient service. All the patients underwent the Migraine Disability Assessment Scale for the evaluation of migraine disability. We also administered the Beck Depression Inventory, State and Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 for the evaluation of depressive, anxiety, and alexithymic symptoms, respectively. A personality profile was also obtained by means of the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ). RESULTS: We consecutively enrolled 465 migraine patients, diagnosed according to the ICHD-II criteria. Seventy (15%) of these patients met the repeater definition. The repeater group had more severe disability and was affected to a greater degree by chronic migraine, regardless of symptomatic drug overuse, than the non-repeater group. As regards the psychometric variables, repeaters were more alexithymic, anxious, and depressed than non-repeaters. The personality profile, as measured by the TPQ, revealed that the repeater patients scored higher on the harm avoidance scale and their subscales than the non-repeater patients. CONCLUSIONS: According to the findings of our study, the repeater migraineur is typically triptan-na ïve, more alexithymic, and more depressed than the non-repeater migraineur. A clinical and psychometric evaluation of repeater patients who go to the ED because of migraine attacks may help to understand this epidemiological and clinical phenomenon. From a clinical point of view, these psychometric findings may not only shed light on the epidemiology of migraine in the ED, but may also help to design a specific therapeutic protocol for this subgroup of migraine patients.

Electronic momentary assessment of weather changes as a trigger of headaches in children.
Author(s): Connelly, M; Miller, T; Gerry, G; Bickel, J
Journal: Headache 2009 Dec 31; Vol. 50, Issue 5; Page(s) 779-89
[Medline ID - 20039960]

BACKGROUND: Variables that are thought to precipitate migraine or tension-type headache episodes in children hitherto have only been studied using retrospective reports. As such, there is little empirical evidence to support the actual predictive association between presumed headache triggers and actual headache occurrence in children. OBJECTIVE: The present study sought to determine if fluctuations in weather, a commonly reported headache trigger in children, predict increased likelihood of headache occurrence when evaluated using rigorous prospective methodology ("electronic momentary assessment"). METHODS: Twenty-five children (21 girls, 4 boys) between the ages of 8-17 years attending a new patient neurology clinic appointment and having a diagnosis of chronic migraine, chronic tension-type , or episodic migraine headache (with or without aura) participated in the study. Children completed baseline measures on headache characteristics, presumed headache triggers, and mood and subsequently were trained in the use of electronic diaries to record information on headaches. Children then completed thrice daily diaries on handheld computers for a 2-week time period (42 assessments per child) while data on weather variables (temperature, dew point temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, precipitation, and sunlight) in the child's geographic location were recorded each time a diary was completed. Data were analyzed using multilevel models. RESULTS: Of the weather variables, relative humidity and presence of precipitation were significantly predictive of new headache onset, with nearly a 3-fold increase in probability of headache occurrence during times of precipitation or elevated humidity in the child's area, b = 0.38, t(821) = 2.10, P = .04, and b = 0.02, t(821) = 2.81, P = .01, respectively. These associations remained after accounting for fluctuations in mood, and associations were not significantly stronger in children who at baseline thought that weather was a headache trigger for them. Changes in temperature, dew point temperature, barometric pressure, and sunlight were not significantly predictive of new headache episode occurrence in this sample. CONCLUSIONS: Results of the present study lend some support to the belief commonly held by children with recurrent headaches that weather changes may contribute to headache onset. Although electronic momentary assessment methodology was found to be feasible in this population and to have the potential to identify specific headache triggers for children, it remains to be determined how best (or even whether) to incorporate this information into treatment recommendations.

Involvement of pro-nociceptive 5-HT2A receptor in the pathogenesis of medication-overuse headache.
Author(s): Supornsilpchai, W; le Grand, SM; Srikiatkhachorn, A
Journal: Headache 2010 Aug 19; Vol. 50, Issue 2; Page(s) 185-97
[Medline ID - 20039957]

OBJECTIVES: To determine the involvement of 5-HT(2A) (5-HT(2A)) receptor in the process of trigeminal plasticity induced by chronic analgesic exposure and in the process of inflammatory-induced thermal hyperalgesia. BACKGROUND: Derangement in 5-HT(2A) serotonin receptor has been reported to implicate in pathogenesis of medication-overuse headache. No clear explanation concerning the precise roles of these receptors in the process. METHODS: Wistar rats were daily administered with paracetamol (200 mg/kg) for 30 days. On the next day, ketanserin, a 5-HT(2A) antagonist, or saline was given prior to cortical spreading depression (CSD) induction. Electrocorticogram, cortical blood flow, Fos and 5-HT(2A)-immunoreactivity in cortex and trigeminal pathway were studied. In the other experiment, complete Freund's adjuvant was injected into the rat hind paw to induce tissue inflammation. Three days later, ketanserin was given and noxious heat was applied to both inflamed and noninflamed paws. The response between 2 sides was compared by measuring paw withdrawal latency. RESULTS: Chronic paracetamol exposure led to an increase in CSD frequency and CSD-evoked Fos expression in cerebral cortex indicating the increase in neuronal excitability. Prolonged medication exposure also facilitated trigeminal nociception as evident by an increase in CSD-evoked Fos expression in trigeminal nucleus caudalis. The expression of 5-HT(2A) receptor in cerebral cortex and trigeminal ganglia was enhanced by chronic paracetamol administration. Pretreatment with ketanserin significantly attenuated these effects. The second experiment showed that ketanserin was able to lengthen the paw withdrawal latency in the inflamed side but did not alter nociceptive response in the noninflamed side. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that up-regulation of pro-nociceptive 5-HT(2A) receptor is an important step in the process of cortical hyper-excitation and nociceptive facilitation induced by chronic analgesic exposure.
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