Occipital Nerve Stimulation for Medically Refractory Hypnic Headache

Objective: Hypnic headache is a rare, primary headache disorder that exclusively occurs regularly during sleep. We present a case of hypnic headache successfully managed with occipital nerve stimulation. Materials and Methods: A 64‐year‐old female presented with a four‐year history of a right occipital headache that regularly awakened her from sleep. The headache, which was dull and throbbing, would awaken her regularly at 4:00 am , five hours after bedtime at 11:00 pm . No photophobia, nausea or vomiting, lacrimation, or other autonomic symptoms were present. The headache was refractory to various medical treatments, including indomethacin, flunarizine, propranolol. She underwent a trial of occipital nerve stimulation with a lead electrode using a medial approach. Results: During the ten‐day trial stimulation, she reported almost complete relief from hypnic headache. Chronic occipital nerve stimulation replicated the trial results. The attacks of hypnic headache recurred in one year with loss of stimulation‐induced paresthesia; a subsequent x‐ray showed electrode migration. After revision of the electrode to the original location, the effectiveness of the occipital nerve stimulation against hypnic headache was achieved again, and this effect has been consistent through 36 months of follow‐up. Conclusion: Occipital nerve stimulation was effective in a patient with chronic, refractory hypnic headache.     

Comparison of Neurite Outgrowth Induced by Erythropoietin (EPO) and Carbamylated Erythropoietin (CEPO) in Hippocampal Neural Progenitor Cells

A previous animal study has shown the effects of erythropoietin (EPO) and its non-erythropoietic carbamylated derivative (CEPO) on neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus. In the present study, we sought to investigate the effect of EPO on adult hippocampal neurogenesis, and to compare the ability of EPO and CEPO promoting dendrite elongation in cultured hippocampal neural progenitor cells. Two-month-old male BALB/c mice were given daily injections of EPO (5 U/g) for seven days and were sacrificed 12 hours after the final injection. Proliferation assays demonstrated that EPO treatment increased the density of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-labeled cells in the subgranular zone (SGZ) compared to that in vehicle-treated controls. Functional differentiation studies using dissociated hippocampal cultures revealed that EPO treatment also increased the number of double-labeled BrdU/microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) neurons compared to those in vehicle-treated controls. Both EPO and CEPO treatment significantly increased the length of neurites and spine density in MAP2(+) cells. In summary, these results provide evidences that EPO and CEPO promote adult hippocampal neurogenesis and neuronal differentiation. These suggest that EPO and CEPO could be a good candidate for treating neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety associated with neuronal atrophy and reduced hippocampal neurogenesis.     

Study of cobalt doping control via various routes in thoroughbred horses

Cobalt is a substance that has been abused for athletic performance enhancement and has thus been prohibited by human and animal sports doping control authorities. However, because cobalt is present in humans and animals as a trace element, a certain level of cobalt is naturally present in their excretions. In the racing industry, cobalt is a controlled substance with a threshold concentration specified by the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering (IABRW) for international harmonization. Due to environmental and feed consumption differences among countries, regional cobalt concentration trends should be evaluated before cobalt testing is introduced. In this study, we conducted a preliminary evaluation of the urinary concentration of cobalt among a population of racehorses in Korea using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis, followed by analysis of the urinary release of cobalt after the administration of cobalt chloride in various situations. The normal distribution for the Korea-based racehorses was used to determine a urine concentration limit (96.5 ng/ml, risk factor of 1 in 10,000). After the intravenous (IV) administration of CoCl₂, the initial elimination of cobalt was rapid. A high concentration (over 2,000 ng/ml) and a slow excretion pattern were observed during the final 2 weeks of the 3-week observation period. When CoCl₂ was administered orally, maximum concentration (C_max, 92–992 ng/ml) was observed at 6–8 h.     

Treatment Discontinuation Impact on Long-Term (10-Year) Weight Gain and Lipid Metabolism in First-Episode Psychosis: Results From the PAFIP-10 Cohort

BackgroundPatients with a first episode of psychosis (FEP) are at higher risk of gaining weight and presenting metabolic disturbances, partly related to antipsychotic exposure. Previous studies suggest that treatment discontinuation might have a positive impact on weight in schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of treatment discontinuation on weight and metabolic changes in a FEP cohort.MethodsA total of 209 FEP patients and 57 healthy controls were evaluated at study entry and prospectively at 10-year follow-up. Anthropometric measures and, clinical, metabolic, and sociodemographic data were collected.ResultsPatients discontinuing antipsychotic treatment presented a significantly lower increase in weight and better metabolic parameter results than those still on antipsychotic treatment at 10-year follow-up.ConclusionsTreatment discontinuation had a positive effect on the weight and metabolic changes observed in FEP patients; however, this effect was not sufficient to reaching a complete reversal to normal levels.     

Photodynamic Therapy for Bowen's Disease of the Vulva Area

Bowen''s disease is a squamous cell carcinoma in situ and has the potential to progress to a squamous cell carcinoma. The authors treated two female patients (a 39-year-old and a 41-year-old) with Bowen''s disease in the vulva area using topical photodynamic therapy (PDT), involving the use of 5-aminolaevulinic acid and a light-emitting diode device. The light was administered at an intensity of 80 mW/cm² for a dose of 120 J/cm² biweekly for 6 cycles. The 39-year-old patient showed excellent clinical improvement, but the other patient achieved only a partial response. Even though one patient underwent a total excision 1 year later due to recurrence, both patients were satisfied with the cosmetic outcomes of this therapy and the partial improvement over time. The common side effect of PDT was a stinging sensation. PDT provides a relatively effective and useful alternative treatment for Bowen''s disease in the vulva area.     

Peliosis Hepatis Shows Isometabolism on 18F-FDG PET/CT: Two Case Reports

Peliosis hepatis (PH) is a rare benign disease that is characterized by multiple blood-filled cystic spaces in the hepatic parenchyma. It is also characterized by a range of radiologic findings that might mimic various diseases, including metastatic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. The findings of PH on ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) are not well reported. We here report two cases of biopsy-proven PH. Both patients had been treated for cancer (advanced gastric carcinoma and rectal adenocarcinoma), and follow-up CT of both cases revealed hepatic lesions with the possibility of metastasis. Examination of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT images suggested that the lesions were isometabolic, having metabolism similar to that of adjacent hepatic parenchyma. The outcomes of hepatic core-needle biopsies were consistent with peliosis hepatis.