European neurology
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Zolmitriptan versus a combination of acetylsalicylic acid and metoclopramide in the acute oral treatment of migraine: a double-blind, randomised, three-attack study.
This multicentre, randomised, double-blind study compared oral zolmitriptan 2.5 mg with a combination of oral acetylsalicylic acid 900 mg and metoclopramide 10 mg as acute anti-migraine therapy for 3 migraine attacks. In total, 666 patients took at least one dose of study medication (326 took zolmitriptan and 340 took acetylsalicylic acid plus metoclopramide). The percentage of patients with a 2-hour headache response after the first dose for all 3 attacks (the primary end point) was 33.4% with zolmitriptan and 32.9% with acetylsalicylic acid plus metoclopramide [odds ratio 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.77-1.47; p = 0.7228]. ⋯ The incidence of withdrawals due to adverse events was very low with both zolmitriptan (0.9%) and the combination regimen (1.5%); the latter percentage included 1 patient who withdrew from the study due to phlebitis, which was classified as a serious adverse event. This study showed that zolmitriptan is effective and well tolerated for the acute treatment of moderate to severe migraine. Zolmitriptan was at least as effective as acetylsalicylic acid plus metoclopramide in achieving a 2-hour headache response, but significantly more effective than the combination therapy for other end points, including the 2-hour pain-free response.
-
Biochemical markers of brain damage, e.g. ischemic stroke, should reflect the volume of irreversibly damaged brain parenchyma and the clinical outcome in a single patient in order to allow estimation of prognosis at an early stage. Tau protein, which derives predominantly from neurons and axons, is elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neurodegenerative disease. This makes tau protein a potential marker of neuronal/axonal injury. ⋯ Tau protein was measurable within 6 h after symptom onset, peaked after 3-5 days and correlated with infarct volume and disability after 3 months. In conclusion, serum tau protein is a candidate marker of axonal injury. In stroke, its clinical use is limited, because it is detectable only in a proportion of patients.
-
Review Case Reports
Hypoglossal nerve palsy as complication of oral intubation, bronchoscopy and use of the laryngeal mask airway.
Hypoglossal nerve injury is a recognized but rare complication of oropharyngeal manipulation during intubation, bronchoscopy and use of a laryngeal mask airway. We present 2 new cases of temporary hypoglossal nerve palsy after orotracheal intubation for general anesthesia. The relevant literature is reviewed and different hypotheses concerning the pathophysiological mechanisms of nerve damage are discussed.
-
Invasive electrical stimulation of the motor cortex has been reported to be of therapeutic value in pain control. We were interested whether noninvasive repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the primary motor cortex might also act beneficially. ⋯ Some of the patients (6/6) had an analgesic effect, but for the whole group, the difference between active and sham stimulation did not reach a level of significance (active rTMS: mean VAS reduction -4.0 +/- 15.6%; sham rTMS: -2.3 +/- 8.8%). Further studies using different rTMS stimulation parameters (duration and frequency of rTMS) or stimulation sites (e.g. anterior cingulate gyrus) are strongly encouraged.
-
Ventriculitis may sometimes occur after an external ventricular drain has been removed, and diagnosis has to be made by lumbar puncture. But are the lumbar findings comparable to previously obtained ventricular results? In a prospective study, sample pairs of ventricular and lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were obtained at an interval of <30 min in 25 patients with increased intracranial pressure suffering from cerebral hemorrhage (n = 15), meningitis/encephalitis (n = 6), cerebral infarction (n = 3), and meningeosis carcinomatosa (n = 1). CSF was analyzed for protein, albumin, IgG, IgA, IgM, glucose, lactate, and leukocytes including cytological differentiation. ⋯ Cell count failed to show a clear ventriculo-lumbar ratio. Cytological distribution was comparable in lumbar and ventricular CSF, except for macrophages showing a significant rostrocaudal decrease. In conclusion, in cases of clinically suspected bacterial central nervous system infection after removal of an external ventricular drain, lumbar CSF lactate, glucose, and cytology are comparable to previously determined ventricular values, and thus may help physicians to choose the best treatment.