Current pain and headache reports
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The term "migrant variant" is not used in the headache classification of the International Headache Society (IHS), but it includes those forms of migraine that are not typical of migraine with or without aura. Headaches that do not quite fulfill all of the IHS criteria are termed "migrainous disorder." Migraine associated with auras arising from unusual sites includes basilar migraine, retinal migraine, and ophthalmoplegic migraine. ⋯ Migrainous infarct has occurred when the aura lasts more than 1 week or imaging studies are positive and other etiologies have been ruled out. If the migraine attack is prolonged beyond 3 days the term "status migrainousus" is applied.
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Of the nearly 20 million American women suffering with migraine, approximately 12 million experience a worsening of their migraines in association with their menstrual cycle. Prior to puberty the prevalence of migraine is slightly higher in boys; however, after puberty there is an emerging female predominance. Estrogen likely plays an important role in explaining this gender difference; however, hormones unlikely explain the entire epidemiologic variation. This article reviews the diagnosis and treatment options for menstrually associated migraine.
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Migraine is a highly prevalent headache disorder that has a substantial impact on the individual and society. Over the past decade, substantial advances in research have increased understanding of the pathophysiology, diagnosis, epidemiology, and treatment of the disorder. This article reviews data on the epidemiology and impact of migraine. It also highlights the increased awareness of migraine, citing examples from the popular media and the Internet.
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Curr Pain Headache Rep · Feb 2001
ReviewThe role of the dorsal column pathway in visceral nociception.
Neurosurgeons have successfully used punctate midline myelotomy to relieve visceral cancer pain in human patients. Animal experiments demonstrate a visceral nociceptive pathway in the posterior column that is more effective than the spinothalamic tract in activating thalamic neurons, eliciting behavioral responses and triggering increases in regional cerebral blood flow. This visceral nociceptive pathway involves postsynaptic dorsal column neurons in the central, visceral processing region of the spinal cord. Axons from the sacral cord ascend near the midline and from the thoracic cord at the junction of the gracile and cuneate fasciculi.