High prevalence of headaches in patients with epilepsy

Background

To examine the association between headaches and epilepsy.

Methods

Consecutive adult epileptic patients who went to the outpatient clinic of the Epilepsy Center of PLA General Hospital between February 01, 2012, and May 10, 2013, were recruited into this study. A total of 1109 patients with epilepsy completed a questionnaire regarding headaches.

Results

Overall, 60.1% of the patients (male: 57.2%; female: 63.8%) reported headaches within the last year. The age-weighted prevalence of interictal migraine was 11.7% (male 8.9%, female 15.3%), which is higher than that reported in a large population-based study (8.5%, male 5.4%, female 11.6%) using the same screening questions. The prevalence of postictal headaches was 34.1% (males 32.7%, females 35.2%), and the presence of preictal headaches was 4.5% (males 4.3%, females 5.2%). The prevalence of headache yesterday in the general population was 4.8% (male 3.0%, female 6.6%). Thus, the prevalence of headaches, including migraine, is higher in epileptic patients in China.

Conclusions

The high prevalence of postictal headaches confirms the frequent triggering of a headache by a seizure. A much lower frequency of preictal headaches, a condition in which the real triggering effect of the headache on the seizure might be difficult to prove.     

Elevated audiovisual temporal interaction in patients with migraine without aura

Background

Photophobia and phonophobia are the most prominent symptoms in patients with migraine without aura. Hypersensitivity to visual stimuli can lead to greater hypersensitivity to auditory stimuli, which suggests that the interaction between visual and auditory stimuli may play an important role in the pathogenesis of migraine. However, audiovisual temporal interactions in migraine have not been well studied. Therefore, our aim was to examine auditory and visual interactions in migraine.

Methods

In this study, visual, auditory, and audiovisual stimuli with different temporal intervals between the visual and auditory stimuli were randomly presented to the left or right hemispace. During this time, the participants were asked to respond promptly to target stimuli. We used cumulative distribution functions to analyze the response times as a measure of audiovisual integration.

Results

Our results showed that audiovisual integration was significantly elevated in the migraineurs compared with the normal controls (p < 0.05); however, audiovisual suppression was weaker in the migraineurs compared with the normal controls (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Our findings further objectively support the notion that migraineurs without aura are hypersensitive to external visual and auditory stimuli. Our study offers a new quantitative and objective method to evaluate hypersensitivity to audio-visual stimuli in patients with migraine.     

Magnetic suppression of perceptual accuracy is not reduced in episodic migraine without aura

Background

Altered cortical excitability is thought to be part of migraine pathophysiology. Reduced magnetic suppression of perceptual accuracy (MSPA) has been found in episodic migraine with aura and in chronic migraine, and has been interpreted as reduced inhibition of the occipital cortex in these migraine subtypes. Results are less clear for episodic migraine without aura. In the present study we compared MSPA between 24 healthy controls and 22 interictally measured episodic migraine patients without aura. In addition, we investigated test-retest reliability in 33 subjects (24 controls, 9 migraine).

Findings

Visual accuracy was assessed by letter recognition and modulated by transcranial magnetic stimulation delivered to the occipital cortex at different intervals to the letter presentation (40, 100 and 190 ms). The results confirm suppression of visual accuracy at the 100 ms interval (p < 0.001), but there were no significant group differences (percentage of correctly recognized letters, control: 36.1 ± 36.2; migraine: 44.0 ± 32.3, p = 0.44). Controls and migraine patients were pooled for assessment of test-retest reliability (n = 33). Levels of suppression at 100 ms were similar at test (percentage of correctly recognized letters: 42.3 ± 32.6) and retest (41.9 ± 33.8, p = 0.90) and test-retest correlations were good (r = 0.82, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The results demonstrate that occipital cortex inhibition as assessed with MSPA is not reduced in episodic migraine without aura. This suggests a larger role of occipital cortex excitability in episodic migraine with aura and in chronic migraine compared to episodic migraine without aura. Test-retest reliability of MSPA was good.     

The global burden of headache in children and adolescents – developing a questionnaire and methodology for a global study

Background

Burden of headache has been assessed in adults in countries worldwide, and is high, but data for children and adolescents are sparse. The objectives of this study were o develop a questionnaire and methodology for the global estimation of burden of headache in children and adolescents, to test these in use and to present preliminary data.

Methods

We designed structured questionnaires for mediated-group self-administration in schools by children aged 6-11 years and adolescents aged 12-17 years. In two pilot studies, we offered the questionnaires to pupils in Vienna and Istanbul. We performed face-to-face interviews in a randomly selected subsample of 199 pupils to validate the headache diagnostic questions.

Results

Data were collected from 1,202 pupils (mean 13.9 ± 2.4 years; 621 female, 581 male). The participation rate was 81.1% in Istanbul, 67.2% in Vienna. The questionnaire proved acceptable: ≤5% of participants disagreed partially or totally with its length, comprehensibility or simplicity. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values ranged between 0.71 and 0.76 for migraine and between 0.61 and 0.85 for tension-type headache (TTH). Cronbach’s alpha was 0.83. The 1-year prevalence of headache was 89.3%, of migraine 39.3% and of TTH 37.9%. The prevalence of headache on ≥15 days/month was 4.5%. One fifth (20.7%) of pupils with headache lost ≥1 day of school during the preceding 4 weeks and nearly half (48.8%) reported ≥1 day when they could not do activities they had wanted to. The vast majority of pupils with headache experienced difficulties in coping with headache and in concentrating during headache. Quality of life was poorer in pupils with headache than in those without.

Conclusion

These pilot studies demonstrate the usefulness of the questionnaires and feasibility of the methodology for assessing the global burden of headache in children and adolescents, and predict substantial impact of headache in these age groups.     

Dexketoprofen Trometamol in the Acute Treatment of Migraine Attack: A Phase II,Randomized, Double-Blind,Crossover, Placebo-Controlled,Dose Optimization Study

Migraine is a disabling disease that can significantly affect a person's quality of life. This study assessed the efficacy and tolerability of the 2 doses of dexketoprofen trometamol (DKP) compared to placebo for migraine treatment. Ninety-three patients with at least 1 migraine attack per month in the preceding 6 months were enrolled and randomized to 25 mg DKP, 50 mg DKP, and placebo in a randomized, double-blind, single-center, crossover, placebo-controlled study. Primary endpoint was pain-free episodes 2 hours after drug intake. The presence of accompanying symptoms and adverse effects was also recorded. Seventy-six patients (mean age 40.5 ± 10.9 and 61% female) completed the study. At baseline, mean number of attacks/month was 3.7 ± 1.3, with a mean duration of 15.4 ± 13.5 hours. Prevalence of pain-free episodes after drug intake was significantly reduced by 50 mg DKP vs placebo (33.8 vs 14.7%, P = .0065) whereas the dose of DKP 25 mg was better than placebo but did not reach statistical significance (23 vs 14.7%, P = .1182). Both 25 mg DKP (56.8 vs 25.3%, P = .0002) and 50 mg DKP improved headache relief compared to placebo. Furthermore, both doses of DKP increased the absence of functional disability (25 mg DKP, 39.7 vs 24%, P = .045; and 50 mg DKP, 45.9 vs 24%, P < .0004). Both doses of DKP were effective and well tolerated for acute migraine treatment.PerspectiveThis article demonstrates the efficacy and tolerability of DKP in the treatment of migraine without and with aura attacks. Its rapid absorption rate with higher maximum plasma concentrations and shorter time to maximum values suggest that this drug is a good option for acute migraine treatment.     

粉防己甲素联合氟桂利嗪胶囊治疗偏头痛的临床观察

目的观察粉防己甲素联合氟桂利嗪胶囊对偏头痛患者治疗效果及安全性。方法 70例偏头痛患者随机分为对照组36例(氟桂利嗪胶囊)和治疗组34例(粉防己甲素片联合氟桂利嗪胶囊)。观察两组患者视觉模拟量表(VAS)评分、口述疼痛分级法(VRS)评分与生存质量评分(SF-36)变化。结果两组患者年龄、病程、治疗前VAS、VRS积分及SF-36评分差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。两组治疗后VAS、VRS积分均显著降低,治疗组优于对照组(P0.05)。治疗组患者生活质量各维度评分较治疗前均有显著提高,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。对照组患者生理功能、生理职能、躯体疼痛、总体健康、精力及社会功能较治疗前比较有明显提高(P0.05)。治疗后两组比较,治疗组各维度评分均高于对照组,其中生理职能、躯体疼痛及总体健康评分差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论粉防己甲素片能显著提高氟桂利嗪胶囊治疗偏头痛的临床效果,改善患者的生活质量,其作用机制有待进一步深入研究。     

犬尿氨酸代谢通路与偏头痛

色氨酸犬尿氨酸代谢通路涉及一系列酶促反应,生成多种具有生物活性的化合物,参与一些复杂的病理生理学过程.近年来的研究显示,犬尿氨酸代谢通路可能与偏头痛的发病机制和治疗有关.文章就色氨酸犬尿氨酸代谢通路与偏头痛关系的研究进展进行了综述.     

耳穴沿皮透穴刺法治疗偏头痛

目的：介绍耳针沿皮透穴刺法在治疗偏头痛的应用,在临床上推广使用该方法。方法：96例偏头痛患者,选取取患侧耳穴：舌-眼-扁桃体区、肝-胆胰区、枕-颞-额区等,使用耳针沿皮透刺疗法治疗。结果：96例患者中,控制13例,显效44例,有效32例,无效7例,总有效率92．7％。结论：耳穴沿皮透穴剌法有着即时效应快,治疗次数少,疗效巩固的优点,在治疗偏头痛方面,效果显著。     

偏头痛的中医辨证治疗

引起偏头痛的病因复杂,临床见证变化多端,既有虚证、实证,也有虚实夹杂之证,但只要辩证正确,依法选方,常可收到满意的疗效。     

自拟天仙活血通络散治疗偏头痛80例临床疗效对比研究

目的：天仙活血通络散治疗偏头痛临床疗效观察。方法：随机分成2组,治疗组80例,用天仙活血通络散治疗,对照组70例用盐酸氟桂嗪、谷维素、消炎痛治疗,10天为1疗程,服药1疗程、随访0．5年后判断疗效。结果：治疗组有效率95％,对照组有效率80％,统计学有显著差异性（P〉0．05）。结论：天仙活血通络散是治疗偏头痛的良方。