Headache in Carotid Artery Stenting and Angiography

Introduction. Carotid angioplasty headache and diagnostic criteria are based on scarce data and small series. Here, we aimed to determine presence, frequency, and characteristics of headache after carotid artery stenting and angiography headache and speculate on possible mechanisms of head and neck pain emerging during or after the carotid artery stenting procedure

Cerebral blood flow changes in patients with probable medication-overuse headache

Transcranial Doppler (TCD) is a non-invasive method for measuring blood flow velocity (BFV), and a marker of vessel diameter. In this study, intracranial BFV was investigated, by means of TCD, in patients suffering from probable medication-overuse headache (PMOH). Twenty-three female patients with probable ergotamine-overuse headache (PEOH), 23 female patients with probable analgesic-overuse headache (PAOH), and 15 healthy female controls participated in the study. The mean BFVs of the bilateral middle and anterior cerebral arteries (MCA and ACA) and basilar artery (BA) were measured by TCD. The mean BFVs of the BA and MCA were found to be significantly increased in the PEOH group when compared with those of the PAOH and control groups (p0.05). The mean BFV of all the vessels in the PAOH group was found to be lower than that of the control group but no statistical significance was found (p>0.05). Our results show that ergotamine increases BFV via vasoconstriction, especially of the BA and MCA. We also suggest that 5HT1B/1D receptors are mainly localized in the BA and MCA, and that analgesic overuse results in a functional disorder of neuronal receptor and neurovascular reflexes and may cause a reduction of intracerebral vessel tone, leading to vasodilatatio

Headache characteristics and frequency of migraine in patients with cervical artery dissections

Headache is a common symptom of cervical artery dissections (CAD). Sometimes, it can be the only symptom and mimic migraine. We aimed to investigate headache characteristics and previous history of migraine in CAD patients, and to compare headache features between patients with internal carotid artery dissection (ICAD) and vertebral artery dissection (VAD). We investigated 53 CAD patients (n = 28 with ICAD, n = 25 with VAD). Demographic and clinical data were evaluated retrospectively. Headache information was obtained from the patient interviews with a structured questionnaire (based on the International Headache Society criteria). The patients with headache were assessed by headache specialist with a face-to-face interview. Headache was evaluated according to International Classification Committee of the International Headache Society ICHD. Headache (n = 38, 71.7%) was the most common symptom in CAD patients, which was mostly thunderclap, throbbing, intense and ipsilateral to dissection. Headache frequency and neck pain were significantly higher in VAD patients (p = 0.002, p < 0.001, respectively). Photophobia and phonophobia were also more common in patients with VAD (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). 29 (54.7%) of CAD patients had a prior history of headache, that 20 (37.7%) of them met the migraine criteria. CAD should be considered in patients with severe unilateral throbbing headache with phonophobia and photophobia, even in patients with a history of migraine. Phonophobia and photophobia may be more common symptoms in VAD patients. Because headache commonly precedes the development of cerebral ischemic events, it needs prompt and accurate diagnosis and treatment

The Prevalence of Migraine in Restless Legs Syndrome

Objective While previous studies have investigated the prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in patients with migraine, we aimed to explore the prevalence and characteristics of migraine in adult patients diagnosed with RLS. Backgrounds The association of primary headaches, especially of migraine, with RLS has recently attracted much attention. Migraine prevalence was reported to be higher in patients with RLS than in the general population, and the role of dopamine was strengthened. Methods We evaluated 265 consecutive adult RLS patients (137 males and 128 females) followed up in a Sleep Disorders Unit and diagnosed according to criteria defined by the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG). RLS characteristics, and the severity, were performed by using the IRLSSG severity scale. The diagnosis of headache subtypes was defined by the International Classification of Headache Disorders. Gender, age, age at RLS onset, duration of RLS, family history of RLS, family history of headache, presence of depression, any treatments given for RLS, and the change in headache following RLS treatment were questioned. Results The mean age of the study population was 50.4 +/- 12.8 years, mean age at RLS onset was 41.6 +/- 13.2 years, and mean disease duration was 8.40 +/- 8.6 years. Of these, 163 patients had headache; 40 of them were diagnosed to have migraine-type headache (15.1%). The presence of migraine-type headache was 9.4% in males with RLS, and 21.1% in female RLS patients. In RLS patients with migraine, 67.5% were females, while 48.0% of RLS patients with other types of headache were females (P = .032), and only 41.2% of RLS patients without headache were females (P = .005). The severity of RLS was significantly higher in patients with migraine compared with those without headache (P < .001). The presence of depression, the family history of RLS, and headache were also higher in patients with migraine compared with RLS patients with other types of headache or those without headache. Thirty-six patients with headache reported partial or substantial benefit from RLS treatment. Conclusions Our results did not suggest higher rates of migraine-type headache in RLS patients when compared with population-based prevalence studies from Turkey. Alternatively, the severity of RLS was significantly higher in patients with migraine. Although the increase in these scores does not constitute a relationship etiopathogenetic, it suggests a correlation between the type cross-model nociceptive systems. Moreover, the family history of RLS was higher in patients with migraine. The prevalence of migraine in patients with RLS, however, waits to be better demonstrated

Arterial and Venous Thrombosis of the Cerebral Vasculature in GAPO Syndrome

A 37-year-old male, previously diagnosed with GAPO syndrome, was admitted to our hospital complaining of recurrent episodes of transient weakness and numbness in his left arm for 3 months, and severe headache with progressive dysphagia for 15 days. His cranial magnetic resonance (MR) images showed multiple ischemic foci in the bilateral periventricular and supraventricular white matter. Cerebral MR-angiography showed total occlusion of the right internal carotid artery and moderate stenosis in the left internal carotid. We also detected chronic thrombotic changes in the distal left sigmoid sinus, proximal right sigmoid sinus, and bilateral jugular veins on cerebral MR-venography. He was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy at age 31 years, which was reported as a novel association; and later he had a myocardial infarction at age 34 years. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first patient with GAPO syndrome and arterial atherosclerosis in cerebralas well as coronaryarteries and intracranial venous thrombosis. We report the evolution of the disease in this patient, who died at age 38 years due to respiratory failure secondary to lower respiratory tract infection. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

The impact of depression and ghrelin on body weight in migraineurs

Comorbidity of migraine with anxiety and depression may play a role in the link between migraine and obesity. We examined the moderating and mediating roles of ghrelin in the relationship between depression (and anxiety) and body weight in newly diagnosed migraineurs