Pramipexole in Parkinson's disease. A short-term study using the combined levodopa-dopamine agonist test

The aim of our study was to investigate the efficacy of pramipexole in advanced parkinsonian patients by means of an acute stimulation test. We studied the motor effects of pramipexole in fluctuating parkinsonian patients by comparing the response to acute levodopa with the response to levodopa + pramipexole. The adjunct of pramipexole to levodopa increased the time spent on from 136 +/- 22.3 to 186 +/- 20.6 minutes (p<0.01), while it did not change the latency to on, the magnitude of the motor improvement, or the duration and severity of dyskinesias. The main effect of pramipexole in fluctuating parkinsonian patients is an increased duration of the on phase.     

Excessive daytime sleepiness in de novo and treated Parkinson's disease.

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) is due to either treatment-related factors or the disease itself. The study of this disturbing phenomenon in de novo parkinsonian patients may contribute to a better understanding of its pathophysiology. We conducted a case control study in which we compared 25 PD patients who had never been treated before with dopaminergic drugs (de novo PD), 50 PD patients being treated with dopaminergic drugs (treated PD), and 25 healthy control subjects, all of whom were matched for age and gender. EDS was measured by means of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and quality of sleep by means of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). ESS and PSQI scores were not statistically different between de novo PD patients and controls, whereas they were significantly higher in treated PD. Differences in ESS score variability were best explained by the treatment effect, whereas there was no clear correlation between PSQI and any of the clinical variables considered.     

Conversion from chronic to episodic migraine in patients treated with galcanezumab in real life in Italy: the 12-month observational,longitudinal, cohort multicenter GARLIT experience

Journal of Neurology - To investigate in real-life the conversion from chronic migraine (CM) to episodic migraine (EM), specifically to EM with High-Frequency (HFEM: 8–14 monthly migraine...     

Rizatriptan in migraineurs with unilateral cranial autonomic symptoms: a double-blind trial

The objective and background is to confirm in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study the high triptan response rates we had previously reported in an open study in migraine patients with unilateral cranial autonomic symptoms. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study 80 migraineurs with unilateral cranial autonomic symptoms were assigned to receive rizatriptan 10 mg wafer or placebo (ratio 1:1) and treated for a single moderate or severe migraine attack. The primary endpoints were pain freedom at 2 h and total migraine freedom at 2 h. Secondary endpoints included pain relief, no associated symptoms and sustained pain freedom or relief. Significantly more patients reported pain freedom at 2 h after taking rizatriptan (54 %) than after placebo (8 %) (therapeutic gain 46 % [28 %; 64 %]; P < 0.001). Similarly, significantly more patients reported total migraine freedom at 2 h after rizatriptan (51 %) than after placebo (8 %) (therapeutic gain 43 % [26 %; 61 %]; P < 0.001). Rizatriptan was also more effective than placebo on most secondary endpoints. We confirm in a placebo-controlled study our previous data suggesting that the presence of unilateral cranial autonomic symptoms in migraineurs predicts a positive response to triptans, probably owing to intense trigeminal peripheral afferent activation which strongly recruits peripheral neurovascular 5-HT1B/1D receptors. Acute and preventive pharmacological trials in migraine should focus also on this subset of migraine patients.     

Cerebral Transverse Sinus Morphology As Detected by MR Venography in Patients With Chronic Migraine

Objective.- To clarify the frequency and characteristics of altered transverse sinus morphology in a series of consecutive patients with chronic migraine. Background.- As terminology, neuroradiological techniques and patient selection differ widely across various studies, reliable, reproducible information is lacking on the frequency of cerebral transverse sinus asymmetry as measured by cerebral magnetic resonance venography in patients with chronic migraine. Methods.- We assessed the frequency and characteristics of transverse sinus asymmetries and their correlation with the chronic migraine phenotype in a blind, cross-sectional magnetic resonance venographic study in a series of 83 consecutive patients with chronic migraine. Results.- After excluding mild (≤10%) physiological differences in transverse sinus diameter, we found magnetic resonance venographic evidence of altered transverse sinus morphology in 50.6% of the patients: 16.9% had moderate transverse sinus asymmetry (≤50%), 24.1% severe asymmetry (>50%), and 9.6% aplasia. Among the tested risk factors for migraine chronification, analgesic consumption, anxiety, and high systolic blood pressure were more frequent in patients with transverse sinus aplasia than in those without. Conclusions.- Advanced magnetic resonance venographic techniques used in strictly selected subjects disclose transverse sinus asymmetries in as many as 50.6% of patients with chronic migraine, even when mild differences in physiological caliber are excluded. The unexpected correlation between transverse sinus aplasia and some risk factors for migraine chronification requires confirmation in larger studies.     

Prion Protein Gene M129V Polymorphism and Variability in Age at Migraine Onset

Prion protein, a sialoglycoprotein with neuroprotective properties on oxidative stress damage, has been related with the mechanisms leading to migraine. In the present case‐control study, we investigated the correlation between the common methionine/valine polymorphism at codon 129 within the prion protein gene (PRNP) and migraine. Genotyping of PRNP V129M variant was performed in 384 migraine patients and 185 age‐, sex‐, and race‐ethnicity‐matched healthy controls. The frequencies of the PRNP V129M genotype did not differ significantly between migraineurs and controls. The frequencies of 129VV genotype were significantly higher in patients with earlier age at migraine onset. No correlation was found between PRNP 129 genotype and demographics, and other clinical migraine features. Our data suggest that the PRNP 129VV polymorphism is not a direct migraine risk factor but is significantly associated with an earlier onset of the disease.     

In vivo enalapril-induced acantholysis.

Enalapril is a widely used antihypertensive drug with a very powerful in vitro acantholytic effect. It has been known to potentially induce pemphigus in genetically predisposed subjects. The action mechanism is complex and still only partially understood. We describe the case of a 66-year-old man, affected with intermediary basal cell carcinoma, in whom the histological examination showed suprabasal acantholytic clefts in the perilesional epidermis. Surprisingly a second biopsy taken from the apparently healthy skin of his back confirmed the presence of acantholytic changes. Clinical signs of pemphigus were absent. The patient's history did not reveal any relevant data but a mild arterial hypertension that had been treated for 1 year with 10 mg enalapril. Taking into account the patient's history (enalapril long-term administration), the absence of any bullous or erosive lesions and the histological findings, a diagnosis was made of in vivo enalapril-induced acantholysis.     

Precautions and suggestions for pemphigus patients.

The onset and course of pemphigus are often the result of an interaction between predisposing genetic factors and environmental triggering agents. The latter are heterogeneous, numerous and increasing, ranging from drug intake (the commonest cause of pemphigus induction) to the exposure to physical agents (heat, UV and ionizing rays, surgical and cosmetic procedures), viral infections (especially by herpesvirus), contact dermatitis, certain diet ingredients and even emotional stress. Alerting physicians and pemphigus patients to the effects that unsuspected precipitating factors may have on the progression of the disease is an important task. In fact, avoiding or limiting deleterious habits (e.g. overindulging in unnecessary drugs) and suggesting alternative ways (e.g. substituting potentially pemphigus-inducing drugs with others considered harmless in this respect) may be a useful precaution in the management of pemphigus patients, since it can improve the efficacy of conventional treatments, reduce the risks of relapses and sometimes result in a cure.     

Type III Ehlers–Danlos syndrome: correlations among clinical signs, ultrasound, and histologic findings in a study of 35 cases

BACKGROUND: Patients with type III Ehlers-Danlos syndrome show hypermobile joints, luxation, and minimal atrophic scars. The disease has an incidence of 9-16% and the molecular defect that underlies this subtype is unknown. In order to widen diagnostic investigations in type III Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, skin and articular areas were studied by ultrasound (US) test. METHODS: Thirty-five patients, 20 women and 15 men, aged from 18 to 25 years, with type III Ehlers-Danlos syndrome were enrolled in this study. Patients showed hypermobile joints (35 cases), minimal atrophic wrinkled scars (35 cases), and a few ice-pick acne scars. Hypermobility of phalangeal joints was studied by means of the Beighton scoring system and by a US test (performed by Sonora Logic 400 MD unit with 10 MHz probe). The following US parameters were considered: the distance of the intra-articular space and the thicknesses of the extensor tendon and of the overhanging dermis and subcutis. RESULT: US reports showed an increase in distance of the intra-articular space and a reduction in the thickness of the extensor tendon and of the dermis and subcutis covering it. The dermis showed high and homogeneous echogenicity with irregular hyperechogenic lines. CONCLUSION: The Beighton scoring system, the US findings, and the aspect and diameter of the scars suggested that the disease can be divided into three different stages which allow the correlation, over progressive intervals of values, of the articular hypermobility and atrophic wrinkled scars. Our results showed that US test is able to confirm the clinical diagnosis and to evaluate the seriousness of hypermobile joints.