-
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024To compare white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) and analyze...
OBJECTIVE
To compare white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) and analyze subpopulations with age-matched controls.
METHODS
T2-weighted MRI scans of 150 patients with SSNHL were assessed for WMHs and compared with the data of 148 healthy age-matched adults. Assessments of WMHs included independent grading of deep white matter hyperintensities (DWMHs) and periventricular hyperintensities (PVHs). WMH severity was visually rated using the Fazekas and Mirsen scales by two independent observers.
RESULTS
Fazekas grades for PVHs ( < 0.001) and DWMHs ( < 0.001) of SSNHL patients were found to be significantly greater than those of healthy participants. The average Mirsen grades for DWMHs of healthy and SSNHL patients were evaluated to be 0.373 ± 0.550 and 2.140 ± 0.859, respectively. Mirsen grades for DWMHs of SSNHL patients were found to be significantly greater ( < 0.001) than those of healthy participants. The Mirsen scale was found to have higher sensitivity ( < 0.001) than the Fazekas scale in grading PVHs and DWMHs. No significant difference ( = 0.24) was found in specificities between the two scales.
CONCLUSIONS
Patients with sudden hearing loss have a much higher likelihood of having periventricular and deep white matter hyperintensities compared to age-matched controls. These findings indicate that sudden hearing loss patients are more likely to have microvascular changes in the brain, which may indicate a vascular and/or migraine origin to sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
PubMed: 38893635
DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14111109 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Jun 2024At present, the patent foramen ovale (PFO) does not receive the deserved medical attention. The PFO poses a serious threat to health and even the life of mankind. The... (Review)
Review
At present, the patent foramen ovale (PFO) does not receive the deserved medical attention. The PFO poses a serious threat to health and even the life of mankind. The first respective case report in the medical literature dates back to the 19th century. It led to death. The fact that a PFO is present in roughly 25% of people underscores its overall potential to cause harm. Yet at the same time, the sheer number discourages the medical community from screening for it and from treating it. About 5% of the population have particularly dangerous forms of PFOs. Such PFOs portray a high enough risk for clinical events, the likes of death, stroke, myocardial infarction, or ocular, visceral, and peripheral embolism, to justify screening for them. Highly significant health incidents being at stake, it appears obvious that PFO closure should be used for primary prevention. This is supported by the fact that closing a PFO is the simplest intervention in cardiology, with presumably the highest clinical yield. Being mainly a preventive measure, PFO closure represents a mechanical vaccination. When closing PFOs for one of the rarer therapeutic indications (migraine, platypnea orthodeoxia, etc.), patients automatically profit from the collateral benefit of getting, at the same time, mechanically vaccinated for life against paradoxical embolism. Vice versa, closing a PFO for the prevention of paradoxical embolism betters or cures migraine or exercise dyspnea not infrequently, thereby improving quality of life as a collateral benefit.
PubMed: 38893065
DOI: 10.3390/jcm13113355 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine May 2024: Compare the effects of greater occipital nerve (GON) and sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) blocks on headache intensity and duration, number of headache days, and...
: Compare the effects of greater occipital nerve (GON) and sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) blocks on headache intensity and duration, number of headache days, and disability in patients with episodic migraine. : In this prospective single-blind randomized study, patients with episodic migraine were randomly divided into two groups: GON and SPG block groups. Patients received blocks once a week for 4 weeks, and once a month for 2 months. The number of headache days, the headache duration, numeric rating scale (NRS) scores, and number of acute medical treatments were assessed before the procedures and 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months after the procedures. Disability was evaluated using the migraine disability assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire at baseline and 3 months after treatment. This study protocol is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06243874.). 19 patients in the GON block group and 18 patients in the SPG block group were evaluated. Significant improvements in pain severity, headache duration, number of headache days, and the need for acute medical treatment were observed in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd months compared to baseline in the two groups ( < 0.001). There were significant improvements in the MIDAS scores in the third month ( < 0.001). The GON block group showed a greater reduction in headache intensity, duration, number of headache days, and MIDAS scores compared to the SPG block group in the 3rd month ( < 0.001). : GON block reduces headache duration, intensity, the number of headache days, and the need for acute medical treatment much more than SPG block in patients with episodic migraine.
PubMed: 38892738
DOI: 10.3390/jcm13113027 -
The Journal of Headache and Pain Jun 2024New onset or worsening of a headache disorder substantially contributes to the disease burden of post-COVID-19. Its management poses a suitable means to enhance...
Occurrence of new or more severe headaches following COVID-19 is associated with markers of microglial activation and peripheral sensitization: results from a prospective cohort study.
BACKGROUND
New onset or worsening of a headache disorder substantially contributes to the disease burden of post-COVID-19. Its management poses a suitable means to enhance patients' participation in professional, social, and personal activities. Unfortunately, the pathophysiology of post-COVID-19 headaches is poorly understood. This study aims to investigate the role of (neuro-) inflammatory mechanisms in order to guide the development of anti-inflammatory treatment strategies.
METHODS
We included patients from the interdisciplinary post-COVID-19 Rehabilitation Study (PoCoRe, n = 184 patients) run at a tertiary care university hospital, comprising patients with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection ≥ 6 weeks prior to their initial consultation. Patients reporting any headache since their infection were considered for this study (n = 93). These were interviewed and classified according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, Third Edition (ICHD-3) by headache specialists. Patient sera were additionally analysed for levels of VILIP-1, MCP-1 (CCL2), sTREM-2, BDNF, TGF-ß1, VEGF, IL-6, sTREM-1, ß-NGF, IL-18, TNF-alpha, sRAGE, and CX3CL1 (Fractalkine). Markers of inflammation were compared between four groups of patients (none, unchanged, worsened, or new headache disorder).
RESULTS
Patients reported experiencing more severe headaches (n = 17), new onset headaches (n = 46), unchanged headaches (n = 18), and surprisingly, some patients denied having any headaches (n = 12) despite self-reports. Serum levels of CX3CL1 were increased in the worsened (2145 [811-4866] pg/ml) and new onset (1668 [0-7357] pg/ml) headache group as compared to patients with no (1129 [0-5379] pg/ml) or unchanged (1478 [346-4332] pg/ml) headaches. Other markers also differed between groups, but most significantly between patients with worsened (TGF-ß1: 60 [0-310] pg/ml, VEGF: 328 [86-842] pg/ml, ß-NGF: 6 [3-38] pg/ml) as compared to unchanged headaches (TGF-ß1: 29 [0-77] pg/ml, VEGF: 183 [72-380] pg/ml, ß-NGF: 3 [2-89] pg/ml). The results did not differ between headache phenotypes.
DISCUSSION
This study provides evidence that worsened or new headaches following COVID-19 are associated with pro-(neuro-)inflammatory profiles. This supports the use of anti-inflammatory treatment options in this population, especially in the subacute phase.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Female; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Biomarkers; Adult; Microglia; Headache; Aged; SARS-CoV-2; Cohort Studies; Cytokines
PubMed: 38890625
DOI: 10.1186/s10194-024-01810-6 -
The Journal of Headache and Pain Jun 2024Large conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK) channels have been implicated in the neurobiological underpinnings of migraine. Considering the clinical... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
Large conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK) channels have been implicated in the neurobiological underpinnings of migraine. Considering the clinical similarities between migraine and persistent post-traumatic headache (PPTH), we aimed to examine whether MaxiPost (a BK channel opener) could induce migraine-like headache in persons with PPTH.
METHODS
This is a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-way crossover study from September 2023 to December 2023. Eligible participants were adults with PPTH after mild traumatic brain injury who reported having no personal history of migraine. The randomized participants received a single dose of either MaxiPost (0.05 mg/min) or placebo (isotonic saline) that was infused intravenously over 20 minutes. The two experiment sessions were scheduled at least one week apart to avoid potential carryover effects. The primary endpoint was the induction of migraine-like headache after MaxiPost as compared to placebo within 12 hours of drug administration. The secondary endpoint was the area under the curve (AUC) values for headache intensity scores between MaxiPost and placebo over the same 12-hour observation period.
RESULTS
Twenty-one adult participants (comprising 14 females and 7 males) with PPTH were enrolled and completed both experiment sessions. The proportion of participants who developed migraine-like headache was 11 (52%) of 21 participants after MaxiPost infusion, in contrast to four (19%) participants following placebo (P = .02). Furthermore, the median headache intensity scores, represented by AUC values, were higher following MaxiPost than after placebo (P < .001).
CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that BK channel opening can elicit migraine-like headache in persons with PPTH. Thus, pharmacologic blockade of BK channels might present a novel avenue for drug discovery. Additional investigations are nonetheless needed to confirm these insights and explore the therapeutic prospects of BK channel blockers in managing PPTH.
GOV IDENTIFIER
NCT05378074.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Adult; Double-Blind Method; Cross-Over Studies; Post-Traumatic Headache; Migraine Disorders; Middle Aged; Brain Concussion; Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel alpha Subunits; Young Adult; Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels
PubMed: 38890563
DOI: 10.1186/s10194-024-01808-0 -
Annals of Clinical and Translational... Jun 2024Migraine is a complex and disabling neurological disorder. Recent years have witnessed the development and emergence of novel treatments for the condition, namely those... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Migraine is a complex and disabling neurological disorder. Recent years have witnessed the development and emergence of novel treatments for the condition, namely those targeting calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). However, there remains a substantial need for further treatments for those unresponsive to current therapies. Targeting pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) as a possible therapeutic strategy in the primary headache disorders has gained interest over recent years.
METHODS
This review will summarize what we know about PACAP to date: its expression, receptors, roles in migraine and cluster headache biology, insights gained from preclinical and clinical models of migraine, and therapeutic scope.
RESULTS
PACAP shares homology with vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and is one of several vasoactive neuropeptides along with CGRP and VIP, which has been implicated in migraine neurobiology. PACAP is widely expressed in areas of interest in migraine pathophysiology, such as the thalamus, trigeminal nucleus caudalis, and sphenopalatine ganglion. Preclinical evidence suggests a role for PACAP in trigeminovascular sensitization, while clinical evidence shows ictal release of PACAP in migraine and intravenous infusion of PACAP triggering attacks in susceptible individuals. PACAP leads to dural vasodilatation and secondary central phenomena via its binding to different G-protein-coupled receptors, and intracellular downstream effects through cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and phosphokinase C (PKC). Targeting PACAP as a therapeutic strategy in headache has been explored using monoclonal antibodies developed against PACAP and against the PAC1 receptor, with initial positive results.
INTERPRETATION
Future clinical trials hold considerable promise for a new therapeutic approach using PACAP-targeted therapies in both migraine and cluster headache.
PubMed: 38887982
DOI: 10.1002/acn3.52119 -
Cephalalgia : An International Journal... Jun 2024This study aimed to identify the potential subgroups of migraines based on the patterns of migraine associated symptoms, vestibular and auditory symptoms using latent...
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to identify the potential subgroups of migraines based on the patterns of migraine associated symptoms, vestibular and auditory symptoms using latent class analysis and to explore their characteristics.
METHOD
A total of 555 patients with migraine participated in the study. Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, photophobia, phonophobia, osmophobia, visual symptoms, vestibular symptoms (dizziness, vertigo), and auditory symptoms (tinnitus, hearing loss, aural fullness) were assessed. Latent class analysis was performed to identify subgroups of migraines. Covariates such as gender, age of migraine onset, frequency of migraine attacks per month, and family history were also considered.
RESULTS
The analysis revealed four latent classes: the Prominent Vestibular; Prominent Nausea; Presenting Symptoms but not prominent or dominant; and Sensory Hypersensitivity groups. Various covariates, such as gender, age of migraine onset, and frequency of migraine attacks, demonstrated significant differences among the four groups. The Sensory Hypersensitivity group showed the presence of multiple sensory symptoms, earlier age of migraine onset, and higher proportion of females. The Prominent Vestibular group had the highest probability of dizziness or vertigo but lacked the presence of auditory symptoms. The Prominent Nausea group exhibited prominent nausea. The Presenting Symptoms but not prominent or dominant group comprised individuals with the highest migraine attacks per month and proportion of chronic migraine.
CONCLUSION
This study identifies four subgroups of migraines based on the patterns of symptoms. The findings suggest potential different but overlapped mechanisms behind the vestibular and auditory symptoms of migraine. Considering the different patterns of migraine-related symptoms may provide deeper insights for patients' prognosis and clinical decision-making.
Topics: Humans; Migraine Disorders; Female; Male; Adult; Middle Aged; Latent Class Analysis; Vertigo; Young Adult; Nausea; Dizziness; Aged; Adolescent; Vestibular Diseases
PubMed: 38887813
DOI: 10.1177/03331024241262488 -
Frontiers in Neurology 2024This real-world study aimed to investigate the impact of galcanezumab on sleep quality, migraine outcome and multidimensional patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs)...
Effectiveness of galcanezumab on sleep quality, migraine outcome, and multidimensional patient-reported outcome measures: a real-world experience in Turkish patients with episodic and chronic migraine.
INTRODUCTION
This real-world study aimed to investigate the impact of galcanezumab on sleep quality, migraine outcome and multidimensional patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs) in patients with episodic migraine (EM) and chronic migraine (CM).
METHODS
Fifty-four patients with episodic migraine ( = 24) or chronic migraine ( = 30) received a 3-month series of galcanezumab injections and were evaluated for sleep quality, measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), as well as migraine outcomes such as monthly headache days (MHDs), monthly migraine days (MMDs), and headache severity. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) such as the Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS), Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6), SF-36 Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were additionally included in the assessment.
RESULTS
The percentage of patients with poor sleep quality (total PSQI scores ≥ 5) was 72.7% at baseline, decreasing to 57.5% and 56.2% at the 1st and 2nd months, respectively. By the 3rd month of galcanezumab injections, significant improvement was observed in the sleep disturbances domain in the overall study population ( = 0.016), and in subgroups of patients with low anxiety levels ( = 0.016) and none/minimal depression ( = 0.035) at baseline. Patients with sleep disorder at baseline exhibited marked improvements in total PSQI scores ( = 0.027) and in the subjective sleep quality ( = 0.034) and daytime dysfunction ( = 0.013) domains, by the 3rd month. Over the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd months, there were significant improvements in MHDs ( < 0.001), MMDs ( < 0.001), HIT-6 scores ( < 0.001 for each), BAI scores ( < 0.001 for each), BDI scores ( ranged from 0.048 to <0.001), and HRQoL scores ( ranged from 0.012 to <0.001).
CONCLUSION
Galcanezumab demonstrates notable benefits in improving sleep quality, along with a comorbidity-based and domain-specific effect on sleep parameters, which involved sleep disturbances domain in patients without depression or anxiety at baseline but the total PSQI scores, subjective sleep quality and daytime dysfunction in those with sleep disorder at baseline. The treatment also facilitates rapid-onset enhancements in migraine outcomes as well as various PROMs.
PubMed: 38887386
DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1411238 -
Journal of Thoracic Disease May 2024Patent foramen ovale (PFO) has been associated with migraine, cryptogenic stroke (CS), and hypoxemia. However, which examination method is most reliable remains...
BACKGROUND
Patent foramen ovale (PFO) has been associated with migraine, cryptogenic stroke (CS), and hypoxemia. However, which examination method is most reliable remains controversial. This study sought to investigate the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (cU), including contrast-enhanced transcranial Doppler (cTCD), contrast transthoracic echocardiography (cTTE), and contrast transesophageal echocardiography (cTEE), for PFO; and to determine the best diagnostic strategy.
METHODS
This retrospective observational study included a total of 147 consecutive patients suspected PFO at The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University between October 2019 and January 2022. The patients also underwent cTCD, cTTE, and cTEE examinations. The standard for the diagnosis of PFO was confirmation of the presence of PFO by color Doppler flow signals or contrast microbubbles (MBs) passing through the foramen ovale.
RESULTS
A total of 123 patients were diagnosed with PFO and 24 patients without PFO during the study period. The detectable rates of cTCD, cTTE, and cTEE were 120 (97.56%), 110 (89.43%), and 121 (98.37%), respectively. The sensitivity between cTCD and cTEE for PFO were comparable [97.56%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 92.5% to 99.4% . 98.37%, 95% CI: 93.7% to 99.7%; P>0.99], and the sensitivity of both were higher than that of cTTE (89.43%, 95% CI: 82.3% to 94.0%; P=0.02 and P=0.001, respectively). In addition, the specificity of cTEE for PFO was significantly higher than that of cTCD (100%, 95% CI: 82.3% to 100.0% . 75.00%, 95% CI: 53.0% to 89.4%; P<0.001) and cTTE (100%, 95% CI: 82.3% to 100.0% . 75.00%, 95% CI: 53.0% to 89.4%; P<0.001). Further, the semi-quantitative classification ability of cTCD for PFO with right-to-left shunt (RLS) was significantly higher than that of cTTE and cTEE (P=0.02 and P<0.001, respectively), and that of cTTE was significantly higher than that of cTEE (P=0.01). The Spearman analysis showed that the degree of RLS was positively correlated with the inner diameter of the PFO (r=0.695, P<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
The combination of cTCD and cTEE may provide a favorable strategy for the diagnosis of PFO.
PubMed: 38883615
DOI: 10.21037/jtd-24-330 -
Cureus May 2024Cerebral arteriovenous malformations (cAVMs) are developmental pathologic lesions of the blood vessels of the brain in which multiple arteries shunt blood directly into...
Cerebral arteriovenous malformations (cAVMs) are developmental pathologic lesions of the blood vessels of the brain in which multiple arteries shunt blood directly into the venous drainage network. They are lesions with an unclear etiology and, if left untreated, can bear significant risks of complications such as migraines, seizures, neurological deficits, and intracranial hemorrhages. The diagnosis is based on several imaging methods, with angiography being the primary method. Treatment modalities include microsurgery, radiosurgery, embolization with the intent of obliteration, and various multidisciplinary approaches. We aim to introduce the case of an adult female patient with symptomatic cAVM who underwent partial endovascular embolization of the lesion and evaluate her recovery and the overall reliability of her treatment modality. A 22-year-old female patient has presented to the Neurosurgery Clinic with clinical manifestations with photosensitive seizures, migraines, and a history of sleep disturbances persisting for a period of one year. An appointed MRI and angiography revealed the presence of a glomerular cAVM of the anterior parietal branch of the middle cerebral artery located within the intraparietal sulcus of the left cerebral hemisphere (Spetzler-Martin grade 2). The venous drainage of the malformation led to a loss of nutrients in the surrounding brain parenchyma (a steal phenomenon), causing the seizures. The patient successfully underwent transarterial endovascular embolization with Onyx, which proved to be partial on a postoperative angiography, and refused further embolization procedures. There were no postoperative complications to be mentioned. The patient reported no seizures or sleep disturbances at the 12-month follow-up, with sporadic weak headaches remaining. cAVMs remain a pathology with significant morbidity and mortality when undiagnosed. Symptomatic cAVMs leading to a steal phenomenon and seizures can be reliably managed via endovascular embolization alone when the malformation has an appropriate angioarchitecture, location, size, and a low Spetzler-Martin score. However, further inquiry is required into the use of partial embolization in cases where further multiple-stage embolization procedures are declined and/or complete occlusion of the lesion is unfeasible. This case report emphasizes that partial endovascular embolization can be successfully utilized as a treatment modality for the symptoms caused by a steal phenomenon of the venous drainage of a cAVM, such as seizure disorders and migraines, in the rare instance when multiple-stage embolization is declined by the patient and occlusion of the lesion remains subtotal.
PubMed: 38883140
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.60499