Mismatch negativity in chronic tension-type headache with and without medication-overuse

Background: It is unknown if medication-overuse headache, clinically similar to chronic tension-type headache, has pre-attentive problems which may be related to pain or substance abuse. Methods: Auditory frequency deviance elicited mismatch negativity was recorded from 22 patients with chronic tension-type headache, 26 with medication-overuse headache from underlying chronic tension-type headache and 41 healthy volunteers as controls. Their depression and anxiety scores were noted. Results: There were no signifi cant differences in the N1 latency or amplitude to both standard and deviant stimuli for the different groups. However, the latency and amplitude of mismatch negativity were signifi cantly shortened and reduced at Fz, Cz, and Pz in medication-overuse headache as compared to chronic tension-type headache and normal subjects. Anxiety levels were elevated in chronic tensiontype headache and medication-overuse headache subjects compared to healthy controls but were not correlated with mismatch negativity latency or amplitude in a given group. Conclusions: In medication-overuse headache subjects, the shortened mismatch negativity latency indicates quick involuntary attention switching to auditory change, while its reduced amplitude indicates poor accuracy in discriminating early stimuli, which may be related to medication overuse rather than to the head pain experienced.

Personality Characteristics of Male Sufferers of Chronic Tension-Type and Cervicogenic Headache

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Chronic tension-type headache (a primary headache disorder) and cervicogenic headache (a secondary headache disorder that is attributable to upper cervical spine pathology) share similar clinical manifestations, but their associated personality traits may differ. We evaluated the personality differences between sufferers of chronic tension-type headache and cervicogenic headache. METHODS: We administered the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ) and the Zuckerman Sensation-Seeking Scale (SSS) to 18 patients suffering from chronic tension-type headache, 19 suffering from cervicogenic headache, and 26 healthy volunteers. Depressive trends were measured with the Plutchik-van-Praag Depression Inventory (PVP). RESULTS: Compared to healthy controls, the chronic tension-type headache group scored significantly higher on ZKPQ Neuroticism-Anxiety and on the PVP, while the cervicogenic headache group scored significantly lower on SSS Thrill and Adventure Seeking. In addition, the total SSS score was significantly lower in the cervicogenic headache group than in both the chronic tension-type headache group and the healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that higher scores for neuroticism-anxiety and depression were associated with chronic tension-type headache, while lower sensation-seeking scores were associated with cervicogenic headache.

Diffusion of innovations theory in promoting the knowledge and technology for birth defects prevention / 中华医院管理杂志

Determining the approach to spread the knowledge and technology for preventing birth defects using the diffusion of innovations theory.Identifying the target group,orientation messages and promotion guidelines based on related literature,laws and clinical epidemiology studies.Pathways integrating both inter-personal communication and IT have pushed the adoption percentage of innovative knowledge for preventing birth defects up from 0％ to 97 ％ in almost no time,helping the region ranking the first in China.The innovation diffusion model has caught attention of both the government and all the community.Prevention measures against birth defects are accepted community wide,while medical workers are regulated by law in their behaviors of mothers and children healthcare services to set a model for prevention of other diseases.