Clinical neuropharmacology
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Clin Neuropharmacol · Sep 2008
Case ReportsReversible worsening of Parkinson disease motor symptoms after oral intake of Uncaria tomentosa (cat's claw).
Uncaria tomentosa (UT), also known as cat's claw, isa Peruvian Rubiaceae species widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of a wide range of health problems. There is no report about the use, safety, and efficacy of UT in neurological disorders. We describe reversible worsening of motor signs in a patient with Parkinson disease after oral intake of UT, and some possible explanations are discussed.
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Clin Neuropharmacol · Jul 2008
Case ReportsRemission of migraine attacks in a patient with depression who is taking pregabalin.
Antiepileptic drugs (AED) are increasingly used in the treatment of migraine. Pregabalin (PGB) is an AED that has been used in the treatment of partial seizures, of various types of pain, and of certain anxiety disorders, but to the best of our knowledge, there has been no report on the use of PGB in the treatment of migraine. ⋯ The PGB mechanism of action in conjunction with its structural similarity with gabapentin, already successfully tested in the treatment of migraine, provide additional supportive evidence, theoretical and clinical, respectively, for PGB potential to alleviate migraine symptoms. However, only carefully randomized, controlled studies, or at the very least, open-label series of large patient samples treated in a similar fashion could establish the efficacy of PGB in migraine treatment.
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We present a case involving a 66-year-old woman with a history of childhood somnambulism who presented with a recent recurrence of sleepwalking. The diagnosis of somnambulism was confirmed polysomnographically and linked etiologically to the start of using metoprolol, a lipophilic beta-blocker, for treating her hypertension. ⋯ There was no history of migraine in the patient presented here. The clinical significance of the findings and possible underlying mechanisms are discussed.
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Clin Neuropharmacol · May 2008
Case ReportsBotulinum toxin: treatment of self-mutilation in patients with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome.
Lesch-Nyhan syndrome (LNS) is a rare X-linked recessive disorder involving purine metabolism caused by the congenital absence of hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase. A characteristic feature of LNS is the appearance of intractable self-injurious behavior, usually in the form of severe lip and finger biting. ⋯ Our findings suggest that treatment with BTX-A helped reduce self-abusive behavior in this patient. Our case illustrates that BTX-A injections can be a useful therapeutic approach in patients with self-abusive behavior.
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Clin Neuropharmacol · Mar 2008
Case ReportsCutaneous drug eruptions by current antiepileptics: case reports and alternative treatment options.
Serious cutaneous drug eruptions due to antiepileptics have been defined for many drugs like carbamazepine, diphenylhydantoin, phenytoin and valproate. In recent years, adverse cutaneous reactions due to the current antiepileptic drugs have also been reported. In this paper, two cases are presented: a 48-year-old female receiving gabapentin for postherpetic neuralgia who developed leukocytoclastic vasculitis after 8 weeks and a 23-year-old male receiving lamotrigine for epileptic seizures who developed toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) in 15 days. Alternative therapy approaches with practical suggestions are also discussed.