Changes in the levels of neuropeptide Y-LI in the external jugular vein in connection with vasoconstriction following subarachnoid haemorrhage in man

Summary NPY is a putative neurotransmitter mainly co-localized with noradrenaline in sympathetic fibers which innervate the cerebral vasculature. The origin of most of the perivascular NPY fibers seems to be in the superior cervical ganglion. To investigate involvement of Neuropeptide Y (NPY) mechanisms in subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), twenty patients with SAH were investigated. NPY-LI (-like immunoreactivity) levels in the external jugular vein were assessed using radioimmunoassay in blood samples collected postoperatively (or after SAH in non-surgical patients) on days 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 9. These levels were compared with the clinical course and blood flow velocity changes monitored with ultrasonic Doppler equipment from both middle cerebral arteries (MCA) and both internal carotid arteries (ICA).Compared to NPY-LI levels in 14 controls (mean 116±3 pmol/ l), increased levels (up to 253 pmol/l) and a close relationship between velocities and NPY-LI levels were found in a subpopulation of the SAH patients. When comparing the mean haemodynamic index (V MCA/ipsilateral V ICA) and mean NPY-LI levels in each of the 20 patients, a correlation of r=0.75, p=0.0001 was found. Increased NPY-LI were found (131±8 pmol/l) when simultaneous Doppler velocity recordings showed vasoconstriction (Haemodynamic index >5) compared with samples taken when the haemodynamic index was <5, p<0.05. When MCA velocity exceeded 120 cm/sec, increased levels were found (129±9 pmol/l) compared with the conditions when MCA velocity was less than 120 cm/sec (113±5 pmol/ l), p=0.06. The results indicate a possible NPY involvement in cerebral vasoconstriction after SAH.     

6186例脑卒中患者发病时间的季节性分析

目的探讨青岛市区脑出血(CH)、脑梗死(CI)、蛛网膜下腔出血(SAH)发病时间的季节规律。方法收集青岛市1998年～2002年脑卒中患者6186例,其中CH1179人,CI4821人,SAH186人。圆分布分析探讨脑卒中患者发病时间的季节规律。结果CH冬季高发,平均角在1月份(P<0.05),男性患者的平均角在2月份(P<0.05),女性患者的平均角在1月份(P<0.05);CI秋季高发,男、女间无差别,平均角在10月份(P<0.05);SAH秋季高发,平均角在10月份(P<0.05),男性患者的平均角在9月份(P<0.05),女性患者的平均角在10月份(P<0.05)。结论青岛市的脑卒中发病具有季节性,在脑卒中预防工作中要充分考虑其发病的季节特点,并采取相应的措施。     

不同剂量地塞米松鞘内注射治疗蛛网膜下腔出血头痛的临床研究

目的 探索地塞米松鞘内注射治疗蛛网膜下腔出血（SAH）头痛的适宜剂量。方法 所选病例分为4组，分别用0，5，10，20mg地塞米松鞘内注射观察止痛效果。结果 根据疗效判定标准，4组总有效率分别为25．00％，50．00％，92．31％，100．00％；头痛缓解时间随地塞米松（DXM）用量增加而延长。结论 DXM 10mg疗效比小剂量疗效高，与大剂量疗效;相同剂量越大缓解头痛时间越长。     

Increased concentration of hypoxanthine in human central cerebrospinal fluid after subarachnoid haemorrhage

Summary The adenine nucleotide metabolites hypoxanthine, xanthine and uric acid were determined by high performance liquid chromatography in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 25 patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) and from 26 control subjects. In addition, the haemoglobin and protein levels in the CSF of the patients were determined.In 13 subjects, from which lumbar CSF was collected three, six and nine days after SAH, there was a gradual increase in 8 patients for hypoxanthine and in 3 of the 13 patients for xanthine and uric acid. The mean concentrations were not significantly higher than the controls. In 12 SAH patients, consecutive CSF fractions of 10 ml were collected peroperatively during surgical clipping of aneurysms. The hypoxanthine concentrations increased continously from lumbar to central CSF samples. Hypoxanthine levels were 6.5±1.0 M in lumbar CSF compared to 11.8±2.3 M in central CSF (p<0.001), while xanthine, uric acid, haemoglobin and protein levels were equally distributed. Furthermore, the SAH patients showed about 3 times higher concentrations of central CSF hypoxanthine (p<0.01) and xanthine (p<0.05) while that for uric acid was similar compared to all control subjects. Also, an in vitro study showed that the increased concentrations of the adenine nucleotide metabolites could not be caused by degradation of blood components in the subarachnoid space.It is presumed that the increased central CSF concentrations of hypoxanthine that were demonstrated in patients after SAH could be a sensitive marker for brain tissue ischaemia. However, since there was no correlation between the hypoxanthine levels, clinical condition or cerebral vascular diameter, other factors have to be excluded before ischaemia alone could explain the elevated central hypoxanthine levels in patients without major clinical dysfunction after SAH.This study was supported by grants from Karolinska Institutet, the Swedish National Society against Heart and Chest disease, The Swedish Society of Medical Sciences, Wibergs Foundation, Boehringer Ingelheim and the Swedish Medical Research Council (proj. no. 7485).     

Biased health perceptions and risky health behaviors—Theory and evidence

This paper investigates the role of biased health perceptions as a potential driving force of risky health behaviors. We define absolute and relative health perception biases, illustrate their measurement in surveys and provide evidence on their relevance. Next, we decompose the theoretical effect into its extensive and intensive margin: When the extensive margin dominates, people (wrongly) believe they are healthy enough to “afford” unhealthy behavior. Finally, using three population surveys, we provide robust empirical evidence that respondents who overestimate their health are less likely to exercise and sleep enough, but more likely to eat unhealthily and drink alcohol daily.     

Clinical and long-term follow-up study in patients with spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage of unknown aetiology

Summary Clinical characteristics and the outcomes of 50 patients with confirmed subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) of unknown aetiology were evaluated. Twenty-nine of these patients were interviewed with a mean follow-up of 7.7 years. Seven patients experienced early rebleeding during hospitalization, and one patient experienced late rebleeding during the follow-up period.On admission to the hospital the consciousness level was clear in 43 of the patients, drowsy in 6, and semicomatose in only 1. Of 10 patients who underwent computerized tomography (CT) within 3 days after SAH, 6 showed no abnormal CT findings and 3 had mild subarachnoid blood. Another patient showed severe SAH. Neurological deficit due to symptomatic vasospasm persisted in only 1 case.Two patients died after re-bleeding during hospitalization, and two others died during the follow-up, thereby representing an overall mortality rate of 8%. Of the latter cases, one died of an unrelated disease, and the other died suddenly from an unknown cause. The remaining forty-six patients (92%) had a good outcome. These results confirm previously reported clinical characteristics, namely that the symptoms of the majority of such cases are mild, the incidence of symptomatic vasospasm is rare, the risk of late re-bleeding is very low (less than 1% per year), and the prognosis is good. The CT findings suggest that some of these features resulted from only mild SAH. Thus, SAH of unknown aetiology seems to be a disease entity with a good prognosis.     

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) attenuates brain oedema accompanying experimental subarachnoid haemorrhage

Summary The effects of centrally administered atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) on the brain water and electrolyte contents were investigated in a rodent subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) model. SAH caused statistically significant increases in the brain sodium and water contents, while the potassium content did not change significantly, indicating that the brain oedema could be classified as having a primarily vasogenic component. Two g or 5 g of rat ANP administered into the lateral ventricle at the time of SAH induction statistically significantly decreased the water and sodium accumulation measured 90 minutes following SAH. The same treatment did not inhibit development of brain oedema measured 3 hours following SAH. However, when 5 g of ANP was administered intraventricularly at the time of SAH induction and also 90 minutes later, the brain oedema 3 hours following SAH was again reduced statistically significantly. These effects of ANP were found not to be mediated by primary changes in serum osmolality and electrolyte concentrations.The present results confirm that centrally administered ANP may act directly on the central nervous system to inhibit brain water and sodium accumulation in SAH-induced brain oedema. The potentials of influencing the central neuro-endocrine system as a novel way of the treatment of brain oedema are discussed.Supported by Grant OTKA I/3 2728 and ETT T110/ 1990.     

蛛网膜下腔出血临床与数字减影血管造影术分析(附23例报告)

目的 分析自发性蛛网膜下腔出血（ＳＡＨ）的临床与数字减影血管造影术（ＤＳＡ）的特点。方法 回顾性分析２３例ＳＡＨ患者症状、病因、预后及ＤＳＡ检查。结果 头痛、呕吐、脑膜刺激征阳性是ＳＡＨ主要症状。经ＤＳＡ发现,２３种中２０例有脑动脉瘤,２例为多发;共计２２个动脉瘤,２１个位于Ｗｉｌｌｉｓ环,１４个位于前交通动脉。９例行手术治疗,５例行介入治疗,７例内科保守治疗,除２例死亡外,２１例均痊愈。接受ＣＳ     

Simultaneous occurrence of subarachnoid hemorrhage and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis: A systematic review of cases

Although the leading causes of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) are aneurysm rupture and arteriovenous malformations, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) can, in rare cases, be associated with SAH. This phenomenon is an uncommon presentation, with less than a hundred cases reported based on our review of the literature. The purpose of this review is to highlight what is known regarding these cases, how they are managed and to highlight the need for further studies that will serve as a basis for the development of a standard management guideline across board. The following databases were searched: PubMed and Ovid Embase. A complementary search of Google Scholar and AJOL was done. Gray literature search was also conducted on the Google search engine for any additional relevant papers. We were able to extract data regarding 33 cases from 29 identified studies. The mean age was 46.6 ± 14.08. 17 (51.5%) of the cases were female, and the female‐to‐male ratio is 1.1:1. Headache was by far the commonest symptom, occurring in 82% of cases followed by seizures in 42% of cases. Four patients (12%) had loss of consciousness while 5 patients (15%) had some form of focal neurologic deficit. Twenty patients had cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in at least two different sinuses. The superior sagittal sinus was the most common location for CVSTs (79%), followed by the transverse sinus (57.5%). Twenty‐nine cases (89%) were managed with anticoagulation alone and one case had a mechanical thrombectomy. We have performed a comprehensive review of cases that had the simultaneous occurrence of SAH and CVST and have identified their peculiarities and the challenges to management. Further research is needed in order to identify a causal relationship and to serve as a basis for the development of a standard management guideline across the board.     

Contrast-induced encephalopathy presenting as acute subarachnoid hemorrhage

Contrast media induced encephalopathy is a rare complication of contrast administration characterized by non-specific neurological signs and symptoms that may present both clinically and radiolographically as subarachnoid hemorrhage. While there are few reported presentations in the neurology literature after inpatient contrast administration, similar emergency department presentations have not been documented. We describe a patient who presented with encephalopathy and expressive aphasia after outpatient evaluation of an intrathecal analgesia pump who had radiographic imaging consistent with acute subarachnoid hemorrhage. The hyperdensities seen on computed tomography scanning were subsequently identified as residual gadolinium contrast media resulting in allergic encephalopathy in this patient.