Cluster Headache: Cardiovascular Responses to Head-up Tilt |
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Authors: | Dr. Piotr Kruszewski MD PhD Dr. Carlos Bordini MD Dr. Alf O. Brubakk MD PhD Dr. Otter Sjaastad MD PhD |
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Affiliation: | From the Departments of Neurology, N-7006 Trondheim, Norway.and; Biomedical Engineering, Trondheim (Norway) University Hospital. N-7006 Trondheim, Norway. |
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Abstract: | Head-up tilt tests were performed in six cluster headache patients in a bout of attacks, but in a pain-free interval at the time of investigation; and in eleven controls matched for age, basal blood pressure, and heart rate. A Doppler servomethod was used for a noninvasive, beat-to-beat blood pressure determination. There were no significant differences between the cluster headache and control groups for heart rate and systolic blood pressure response to the head-up tilt. However, the average diastolic blood pressure seemed to drop more after the tilt in the cluster headache group than in the control group; in particular, in the later part of the test. This might suggest a dysfunction of the baroreflex in cluster headache patients in a bout, also outside of attacks, and most probably of the sympathetically-mediated vasomotor response. |
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Keywords: | baroreceptor reflexes blood pressure cluster headache heart rate |
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