The journal of headache and pain
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Migraine headache has a high prevalence and a severe impact on personal, social and work life, forming a significant burden on patients, service providers and society. There is some evidence of the effectiveness of behavioural interventions to supplement drug therapy but a recognised need to identify an effective minimal contact approach to enhance access and provide a model for use in publicly funded health systems. This study uses in-depth interviews to examine patients' experience and responses to a behavioural intervention with relaxation and CBT components delivered in three individual therapist sessions with follow-up. ⋯ Patients' selectively identified and employed the techniques learned as 'tools' to assist in preventing and managing their migraines, with reported benefits supporting the development of minimal contact behavioural therapy to increase accessibility for adults with migraine headache and the conduct of a definitive trial.
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Epicrania Fugax is a paroxysmal, short-lasting, head pain moving across one hemicranium, describing a linear or zag trajectory, starting and ending in territories of different nerves. Between attacks, patients are usually free of symptoms. ⋯ The interictal pain was line-shaped and extended across the usual starting and ending points of the typical Epicrania Fugax paroxysms. Although rarely encountered, persistent linear pain may be a feature of Epicrania Fugax.
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Receptor activity modifying protein 1(RAMP1) is a key receptor subunit of calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) playing a critical role in migraine. But variations in RAMP1 gene have not been found to link with migraine. Still it is elusive that DNA methylation at RAMP1 promoter is associated with migraine. ⋯ This study provides the first evidence that DNA methylation at RAMP1 promoter might play a role in migraine. A low methylation trend overall was presented in migraine subjects, and two CpG units were observed to link with positive migraine family history and female migraine, respectively. Lower methlytion level at (+89, +94, +96) CpG unit may be a risk of migraine in females.
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The effect of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) on quality of life (QOL) is poorly understood. Our objectives were to compare QOL in IIH to the normal UK population; to investigate QOL changes with treatment of IIH, using a weight loss intervention, and to determine which clinical factors influence QOL. ⋯ QOL in IIH patients is significantly reduced. It improved with weight loss alongside significant improvement in clinical measures and headache. However, headache was the only clinical outcome that correlated with enhanced QOL. Effective headache management is required to improve QOL in IIH.
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Migraine is a common headache disorder that may be associated with vascular disease and cerebral white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is a marker of inflammation that may predict subclinical atherosclerosis. However, the relation between migraine, vascular risks, and WMHs is unknown. We evaluated hs-CRP levels and the relation between hs-CRP level and WMHs in adult migraine patients. ⋯ High hs-CRP level may be a marker of the proinflammatory state in migraine patients. However, the absence of correlation between hs-CRP level and WMHs suggests that hs-CRP is not causally involved in the pathogenesis of WMHs in migraine patients. The WMHs were located mostly in the frontal lobe and subcortical area.