Frontiers in neurology
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Frontiers in neurology · Jan 2019
Pain Catastrophizing in Childhood Migraine: An Observational Study in a Tertiary Headache Center.
Background: Migraine is the most common cause of primary headache in children leading to a decrease in the quality of life. During the last decade, pain catastrophizing construct became a major focus of interest in the study and treatment of pain. Aim of the study: To evaluate pain catastrophizing in episodic and chronic migraine children and adolescents selected in a tertiary headache Center. ⋯ Conclusion: Pain catastrophizing seems a mental characteristic of a clinical phenotype with psychopathological traits and enhanced expression of central sensitization symptoms. This clinical profile causes general decline in quality of life in the child judgment, with a probable parents' underestimation. In childhood age, it would not be a feature of chronic migraine, but the possibility that it could predict this evolution is consistent and worthy of further prospective evaluation.
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Frontiers in neurology · Jan 2019
Characterizing the Penumbras of White Matter Hyperintensities and Their Associations With Cognitive Function in Patients With Subcortical Vascular Mild Cognitive Impairment.
Normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) surrounding white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), frequently known as the WMH penumbra, is associated with subtle white matter injury and has a high risk for future conversion to WMHs. The goal of this study was to define WMH penumbras and to further explore whether the diffusion and perfusion parameters of these penumbras could better reflect cognitive function alterations than WMHs in subjects with subcortical vascular mild cognitive impairment (svMCI). Seventy-three svMCI subjects underwent neuropsychological assessments and 3T MRI scans, including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and arterial spin labeling (ASL). ⋯ Only the mean FA value of the PVWMH-FA penumbra was correlated with the composite z-scores of global cognition before correction (r = 0.268, p = 0.024), but that correlation did not survive after correcting the p-value for multiple comparisons. Our findings showed extensive white matter perfusion disturbances including white matter tissue, both with and without microstructural alterations. The imaging parameters investigated, however, did not correlate to cognition.
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Frontiers in neurology · Jan 2019
Case ReportsUlnar Neuropathy at the Elbow Associated With Focal Demyelination in the Proximal Forearm and Intraoperative Imaging Correlation.
Ulnar nerve focal demyelination (FD) in the forearm [defined as conduction block (CB) and or temporal dispersion (TD)] has been described with immune-mediated neuropathy and with compression affecting the forearm segment of the nerve. The association of FD in the forearm with entrapment ulnar neuropathy at the elbow, as well as the intraoperative imaging of the abnormal ulnar nerve at the flexor carpi ulnaris muscle level (FCU), has not been reported before. We report a 33-years-old woman presented with only sensory symptoms of the right hand suggestive of right ulnar neuropathy for the last 10 years. ⋯ During surgical transposition, the ulnar nerve was swollen, and edematous in the segment where the nerve enters the FCU muscle, which provides a physiological explanation for the electrophysiological findings. After the surgery, the patient reported complete resolution of the symptoms. This case demonstrate that ulnar nerve motor potential FD at the proximal forearm could be recorded and it is still compatible with ulnar-nerve entrapment at the elbow.
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Frontiers in neurology · Jan 2019
Clinical Features and Pathophysiology of Disorders of Arousal in Adults: A Window Into the Sleeping Brain.
Introduction: Disorders of Arousal (DoA) are NREM parasomnias that have been typically regarded as self-limited childhood manifestations. It is now clear that DoA can persist in adults, often presenting with distinctive characteristics. So far, few studies have described the clinical course and characteristics of DoA in adulthood, therefore a large part of their semiology is ignored. ⋯ Discussion: Our study confirms that DoA in adulthood present with distinctive characteristics, such as non-restorative sleep, violence and complex, or bizarre behaviors. Alternative classifications of DoA based on motor patterns could be useful to characterize DoA episodes in adults, as different motor patterns often coexist in the same individual and minor episodes are more common but generally underreported by patients. Prospective studies are needed for a definitive characterization of DoA in adulthood throughout the life course.
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Frontiers in neurology · Jan 2019
Incidence of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective Hospital, Emergency Room and General Practitioner-Based Study.
Background: There are no recent estimates of incidence rates of mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) from Norway. Moreover, reported incidence rates rarely comprise cases of MTBI evaluated in the primary care setting. In this study, we utilized existing data collected as part of the recruitment to a large, follow-up study of patients with MTBI. ⋯ The incidence rate was highest in the age group 16-20 years, where rates were 835 per 100,000 person-years in males and 726 in females. Conclusion: The overall incidence rate of MTBI was lower than expected from existing estimates. Like other reports, the incidence was highest in the late teens.