Cluster headache with obstructive sleep apnea and periodic limb movements during sleep: A case report

We report the case of a man with episodic cluster headache who suffered from severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as well as periodic limb movements during sleep (PLMS). His attacks of headache occurred primarily during sleep being timely to REM sleep as 90 to 120 minutes interval. OSAs were more frequent and prolonged during REM sleep and oxygen saturation decreased to 81% during this sleep period. Periodic limb movements were also observed in our patient that were more frequent during the first half of the polysomnographic recordings. This case is one of the few reporting cases with CH who had both OSA and PLMS

The epidemiology of post-stroke epilepsy according to stroke subtypes

Objectives - Strokes represent the most common etiology of epilepsy in patients over the age of 60 years, with an incidence of 2-4% occurring in different studies. Materials and Methods - In this observational study, 1,428 patients were included who had stroke and were admitted to our Stroke Unit between the years 1996 and 2005. Results - Overall, 51 patients had post-stroke epilepsy (3.6%). Post-ischemic epilepsy occurred in 70.6% of the patients, post-hemorrhagic epilepsy occurred in 21.6% of the patients and epilepsy following venous infarctions occurred in 7.8% of all post-stroke epilepsy patients. Of 1,327 patients having ischemic stroke, 36 patients (2.7%), 11 out of 86 patients with hemorrhagic stroke (12.8%) and 4 of 15 patients with venous infarctions (26.6%) developed epilepsy. Compared with stroke patients without epilepsy, hemorrhagic (P < 0.001) and venous infarctions were more common in patients with post-stroke epilepsy (P < 0.001). The right hemisphere and the middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory were most commonly observed in ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients. Conclusions - Our results indicate that post-stroke epilepsy is more common among patients who have experienced venous infarctions. Hemorrhagic and venous infarctions are more commonly encountered in post-stroke epilepsy patients. Atherosclerotic and cardioembolic strokes were similar to those that occurred in post-stroke epilepsy patients. Localizations in post-stroke epileptic patients showed that the majority occurred in the right hemisphere, in the territory of the MCA. However, prospective, multicentered studies are needed for a better understanding of the epidemiology and social impact of post-stroke epilepsy

Is the level of C-reactive protein correlated with the extent of carotid atherosclerosis?

Background : Increased intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid arteries (CCA) and elevated levels of highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) are both shown to be associated with the occurrence of stroke. We investigated whether elevated hsCRP level is a risk factor for the increased IMT of the CCA independent of other proven risk factors for the ischemic stroke and studied the interaction between hsCRP level and the extent of carotid atherosclerosis

Childhood onset of narcolepsy-cataplexy syndrome in Turkey: clinical and genetic study

Narcolepsy is a disabling sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and abnormal manifestations of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep including cataplexy, sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations. It is known to be complex disorder in which both genetic predisposition and environmental factors play a role. In humans, susceptibility to narcolepsy is tightly associated with a specific HLA allele, DQB1*0602. In this report, we took advantage of the ongoing genetic study in Turkish narcoleptic patients to document clinical and genetic data of eight patients whose onset of symptoms were in the childhood period

Electrocardiographic findings and prognosis in ischemic stroke

Introduction: Electrocardiographic (ECG) changes are observed in patients with acute stroke and are related with the prognosis. Aims: To determine the frequency and significance of ECG changes in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Material and Methods: In a prospective hospital-based study 87 patients with cerebral infarction were observed for ECG changes during their stay in the hospital. All the patients had ischemic stroke for the first time. The ECG changes observed were compared with those of the control group consisting of 87 patients. Results: Of the 87 patients of the study group, 47.1% were females and 52.9% males. The mean age was 65.5+/-11.9. (range 31-91 yrs). The control group consisted of 50.6% females and 49.4% males. The mean age was 64.5+/-9.1 (range 31-87 yrs). The frequency of the ECG changes observed in patients with cerebral infarct was 62.1% while it was 29.9% in the control group (P<0.0001). ECG changes observed were mostly related to myocardial ischemia. The six-month mortality rate in the patients with ECG changes was 38.9% whereas it was 15.2% in those with normal ECG (P<0.05). Conclusions: The observations of this study suggest that cardiac evaluation in patients with acute ischemic stroke is of prognostic importance