Cephalalgia : an international journal of headache
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Migraine headache is one of the most common primary headache disorders and is three times more prevalent in women than in men, especially during the reproductive ages. The neurobiological basis of the female dominance has been partly established. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of gender on the headache manifestations in migraine patients. ⋯ Gender has an influence on the characteristics of the headache as well as on the associated symptoms in migraine patients, and this impact varies across the age groups, particularly in women.
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Neurophysiological investigations have demonstrated that there are unique fluctuations in the migraine brain functional activity between the ictal and interictal periods. Here we investigated the possibility that there are fluctuations over time also in whole brain morphometry of patients affected by episodic migraine without aura (MO). Twenty-four patients with untreated MO underwent 3T MRI scans during (n = 10) or between attacks (n = 14) and were compared to a group of 15 healthy volunteers (HVs). ⋯ Ictally, GM density increased within the left temporal pole, bilateral insula, and right lenticular nuclei, but no areas exhibited decreased GM density. These morphometric GM changes between ictal and interictal phases suggest that abnormal structural plasticity may be an important mechanism of migraine pathology. Given the functional neuroanatomy of these areas, our findings suggest that migraine is a condition associated with global dysfunction of multisensory integration and memory processing.
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Review Case Reports
Oculomotor nerve tumors masquerading as recurrent painful ophthalmoplegic neuropathy: report of two cases and review of the literature.
In recurrent painful ophthalmoplegic neuropathy (RPON) that was previously termed as ophthalmoplegic migraine, enhancement of the ocular motor cranial nerves could be seen in the cisternal segment during the acute phase. However, various tumors involving the oculomotor nerve may mimic RPON. ⋯ It should be recognized that an incomplete recovery may occur during future attacks in patients with otherwise uncomplicated RPON. Follow-up MRIs are required to detect tumors involving the ocular motor cranial nerves, especially in patients with suspected RPON when the recovery is incomplete.
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The objective of this article is to evaluate whether statin use and vitamin D status is associated with severe headache or migraine in a nationally representative sample. ⋯ Statin use in those with higher serum vitamin D levels is significantly associated with lower odds of having severe headache or migraine.
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Case Reports
The lesser occipital nerve visualized by high-resolution sonography--normal and initial suspect findings.
The lesser occipital nerve (LON) supplies the lateral part of the occiput and is-together with the greater occipital nerve (GON)-involved in headache pathogenesis. While the GON was described in high-resolution ultrasound (HRUS), the same does not apply to the LON. We aimed at characterizing the LON in HRUS, and present cases of suspect findings in the course of the LON identified by HRUS. ⋯ We confirm the possibility of visualization of the LON using HRUS. HRUS may be a helpful adjunct tool in the assessment of patients with atypical headache.