Journal of neurology
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Journal of neurology · Jun 2010
JCV detection in multiple sclerosis patients treated with natalizumab.
Natalizumab therapy is associated with an increased risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Because the prognosis of established PML is uniformly dismal, identification of highly susceptible patients to the disease may improve outcomes. We wanted to investigate whether serial plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) screening for polyomavirus would identify patients with laboratory evidence of viral infection prior to the development of clinical PML. ⋯ Five patients were positive for BKV DNA in the CSF and three patients were positive for JCV DNA (one in plasma, two in CSF). After cessation of natalizumab treatment, all patients converted to undetectable viral DNA. Screening for JCV in CSF in natalizumab-treated patients could help identify those at heightened risk for developing PML and discontinuing treatment in these patients may abort development of the clinical illness.
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Journal of neurology · Jun 2010
Vestibular dysfunction in migraine: effects of associated vertigo and motion sickness.
The mechanisms of vestibular migraine and motion sickness remain unknown. The aims of this study were to determine interictal vestibular dysfunction in migraineurs according to associated dizziness/vertigo and motion sickness, and to find out whether impaired uvulonodular inhibition over the vestibular system underlies the vestibular symptoms and signs by measuring tilt suppression of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). One hundred and thirty-one patients with migraine [65 with vestibular migraine (MV), 41 with migrainous dizziness (MD), and 25 with migraine only (MO)] and 50 normal controls underwent evaluation of vestibular function. ⋯ In view of the increased tilt suppression of the VOR, we speculate that dysfunction of the nodulus/uvula may not account for the prolonged TCs in MD/MV. Instead, innate hypersensitivity of the vestibular system may be an underlying mechanism of motion sickness and increased TC in MD/MV. The increased tilt suppression may be an adaptive cerebellar mechanism to suppress the hyperactive vestibular system in migraineurs.