Cluster headache and neuropsychological functioning

Background: Despite significant advances in unravelling the pathophysiology of cluster headache (CH), little is known about neuropsychological functioning. Apart from neuroimaging studies indicating involvement of posterior hypothalamic and other areas frequently involved in nociception, some studies suggest involvement of prefrontal areas. Among others, these mediate executive functioning (EF). Methods: Therefore, three neuropsychological tests (Trail Making Test (TMT), Go/Nogo Task and Stroop Task) were completed by four headache patient samples (chronic CH, episodic CH in the active or inactive period, and migraine patients) and compared to healthy controls. Results: Analyses revealed that patients especially with chronic and active episodic CH were particularly impaired in tests relying more on intact EF (i.e. TMT-B, Stroop interference) than on basal cognitive processes (i.e. TMT-A, Stroop naming). Within the CH groups performance decreased linearly with increasing severity. Discussion: These findings are in line with a recently proposed involvement of prefrontal structures in CH pathophysiology as patients performed worse on neuropsychological tasks relying on these structures. Impaired EF could also result from medication and sleep disturbances due to active CH. Because the decreased performance was also present outside the attacks it may hint at generally altered brain functions, but do not necessarily reflect clinically relevant behaviour

Aggressiveness in different presentations of cluster headache: Results from a controlled multicentric study

Background: The hypothalamus has been discussed as a pivotal structure for both cluster headache (CH) and aggres-siveness, but little is known about the extent of self-reported aggressiveness in patients with CH. Patients and methods: Twenty-six patients with chronic, 25 with active episodic and 22 with episodic CH outside the active period were examined interictally with a validated questionnaire quantifying factors of aggression and compared with 24 migraine patients and 31 headache-free volunteers. Results: The ANOVA was significant for the subscale ‘self-aggression/depression ’ (F4, 123 5.771, p< 0.001) with signifi-cant differences between chronic and episodic CH and healthy volunteers. No significant changes were found for other subscales and the sum scale (F4, 123< 1.421, p> 0.230). Especially in the clinically most affected group of patients (chronic CH and active episodic CH), high levels of ‘‘self-aggression/depression’ ’ correlate with higher prevalence of depressive symptoms and higher impairment measured on an emotional and functional level. Discussion: Self-aggressive and depressive cognitions with highest scores in chronic CH seem to be reactive as they correlate with depressive symptoms and impairment. They should be considered as an important therapeutic target since they impair the patient’s life significantly

Информационные технологии в науке, управлении, социальной сфере и медицине. Ч. 1

Сборник посвящён теоретическим и практическим аспектам разработки и применения современных информационных технологий. Особое внимание уделено вопросам математического моделирования и применения информационных технологий в различных предметных областях. В сборнике представлен широкий круг исследований российских и зарубежных учёных, преподавателей, аспирантов и студентов, представленных на IV Международной конференции «Информационные технологии в науке, управлении, социальной сфере и медицине», прошедшей в г. Томске на базе Томского университета систем управления и радиоэлектроники и Томского политехнического университета