The journal of headache and pain
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Hemicrania continua (HC) is a rare chronic headache disorder, typically accompanied by cranial autonomic features and responding to therapeutic doses of indomethacin. The pathophysiology of hemicrania continua is not fully understood. ⋯ The biology of hemicrania continua may be activated post-craniotomy just as can be seen with other primary headache disorders.
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Migraine equivalents are common clinical conditions in children suffering from headache. Very few studies dealt with the psychological profile of children/adolescents with migraine equivalents. Our main aim was to compare the psychological profile between migraine children with and without migraine equivalents. Moreover, as secondary aim, exclusively in children with migraine equivalents, we investigated the possible relationship between migraine attack frequency and intensity and psychological factors. ⋯ Migraine equivalents patients tend to feel more fearful and to experience more shyness. This, together with the tendency to somatization, may lead them to become vigilant in attachment relationships with their caregivers.
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Psychiatric problems have been commonly reported in patients with migraine. This study investigated the reliability and validity of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 (GAD-2) in patients with migraine. ⋯ The GAD-7 and GAD-2 are both reliable and valid screening instruments for GAD in patients with migraine.
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The purpose of this study was to systematically evaluate the function of cochlear and auditory pathways in patients suffering from tension-type headache (TTH) using various audiological methods. ⋯ The results of our study indicate that subclinical changes in cochlear function are associated with TTH.
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Activation of glutamate (Glu) receptors plays a key role in the pathophysiology of migraine. Both NMDA and metabotropic Glu receptors are activated or inhibited by metabolites of the kynurenine pathway, such as kynureninic acid (KYNA), quinolinic acid (QUINA), and xanthurenic acid (XA). In spite of the extensive research carried out on KYNA and other kynurenine metabolites in experimental models of migraine, no studies have ever been carried out in humans. Here, we measured all metabolites of the kynurenine pathway in the serum of patients affected by chronic migraine (CM) and age- and gender-matched healthy controls. ⋯ These findings suggest that in migraine KYN is unidirectionally metabolized into ANA at expenses of KYNA and 3-HK. The reduction in the levels of KYNA, which behaves as a competitive antagonist of the glycine site of NMDA receptors, is consistent with the hypothesis that NMDA receptors are overactive in migraine. The increase in XA, a putative activator of Glu2 receptors, may represent a compensatory event aimed at reinforcing endogenous analgesic mechanisms. The large increase in the levels of ANA encourages research aimed at establishing whether ANA has any role in the regulation of nociceptive transmission.