Current neurology and neuroscience reports
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Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep · Mar 2016
ReviewTumefactive Demyelinating Lesions in Multiple Sclerosis and Associated Disorders.
Tumefactive demyelinating lesions are rare consequences of central nervous system (CNS) idiopathic inflammatory demyelinating diseases. Tumefactive demyelinating lesions pose a diagnostic challenge because they can mimic tumors and abscesses and because they can be caused by a heterogeneous range of disorders. This article reviews the recent literature on the clinical presentation; radiographic features; prognosis; and management of tumefactive demyelinating lesions in multiple sclerosis, acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis, neuromyelitis optica, and the rare variants of multiple sclerosis including Schilder's disease, Marburg acute multiple sclerosis, and Balo's concentric sclerosis.
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Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep · Jun 2015
ReviewPediatric migraine variants: a review of epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome.
Pediatric migraine variants, previously known as childhood periodic syndromes, migraine equivalents, or migraine precursors, are a group of periodic or paroxysmal disorders occurring in patients who also have migraine with or without aura, or who have an increased likelihood of developing migraine. They have common key clinical features including periodic or paroxysmal character, normal neurological examination between attacks, family history of migraine, and clinical evolution to classic types of migraine. This article aims to review the pathophysiology, evaluation, and management of the pediatric migraine variants including abdominal migraine, benign paroxysmal vertigo, cyclic vomiting syndrome, and benign paroxysmal torticollis as well as the episodic syndromes that may lead to migraine, infantile colic, alternating hemiplegia of childhood, and vestibular migraine.
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Migraine management in children relies on understanding the difference between adult and childhood migraine, being able to identify childhood migraine variants and knowledge of both the pediatric and adult literature regarding treatment.
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Migraine is a complex disorder of the brain that is common and highly disabling. As understanding of the neural pathways has advanced, and it has become clear that the vascular hypothesis does not explain the disorder, new therapeutic avenues have arisen. One such target is calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-based mechanisms. ⋯ CGRP administration triggers migraine in patients, and CGRP receptor antagonists have been shown to abort migraine. Here, we review the current state of CGRP mechanism antagonist therapy as its research and development is increasing in migraine therapeutics. We discuss several recent trials, highlighting the evidence base behind these novel drugs, and their potential future contribution to migraine management.
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Encephalitis, an inflammatory condition of the brain that results in substantial morbidity and mortality, has numerous causes. Over the past decade, it has become increasingly recognized that autoimmune conditions contribute significantly to the spectrum of encephalitis causes. Clinical suspicion and early diagnosis of autoimmune etiologies are of particular importance due to the need for early institution of immune suppressive therapies to improve outcome. ⋯ Other conditions such as Rasmussen's encephalitis (RE) and febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome (FIRES) have also been posited to be autoimmune conditions triggered by infectious agents. This review focuses on emerging concepts in central nervous system autoimmunity and addresses clinical and mechanistic findings linking autoimmune encephalitis and infections. Particular consideration will be given to anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis and its relation to herpes simplex encephalitis.