Consensus of the Brazilian Headache Society on the treatment of chronic migraine.

Chronic migraine poses a significant personal, social and economic burden and is characterized by headache present on 15 or more days per month for at least three months, with at least eight days of migrainous headache per month. It is frequently associated with analgesic or acute migraine medication overuse and this should not be overlooked. The present consensus was elaborated upon by a group of members of the Brazilian Headache Society in order to describe current evidence and to provide recommendations related to chronic migraine pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment. Withdrawal strategies in medication overuse headache are also described, as well as treatment risks during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Oral topiramate and onabotulinum toxin A injections are the only treatments granted Class A recommendation, while valproate, gabapentin, and tizanidine received Class B recommendation, along with acupuncture, biofeedback, and mindfulness. The anti-CGRP or anti-CGRPr monoclonal antibodies, still unavailable in Brazil, are promising new drugs already approved elsewhere for migraine prophylactic treatment, the efficacy of which in chronic migraine is still to be definitively proven.

Recommendations for the treatment of migraine attacks - a Brazilian consensus.

In this article, a group of experts in headache management of the Brazilian Headache Society developed through a consensus strategic measurements to treat a migraine attack in both the child and the adult. Particular emphasis was laid on the treatment of migraine in women, including at pregnancy, lactation and perimenstrual period.

Intelligence functions disorders in patients with complex partial epilepsy.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the performance of patients with complex partial epilepsy with the normal controls in the subtests of an instrument used to assess intelligence function. METHOD: Fifty epileptic patients, whose ages ranged from 19 to 49 years and 20 normal controls without any neuropsychiatric disorders. The Wechsler-Bellevue adult intelligence test was applied in groups, epileptic patients and control subjects. This test is composed of several subtests that assess specific cognitive functions. A statistical analysis was performed using non-parametric tests. RESULTS: All the Wechsler-Bellevue subtests revealed that the intelligence functions of the patients were significantly inferior to that of the controls (p<0.05). This performance was supported by the patient's complaints in relation to their cognitive performance. CONCLUSION: Patients with complex partial epilepsy presented poorer results in the intelligence test when compared with individuals without neuropsychiatric disorders.

Intelligence functions disorders in patients with complex partial epilepsy

OBJETIVO: Comparar o desempenho de pacientes com epilepsia parcial complexa e de sujeitos-controles quanto ao desempenho nos subtestes de um instrumento para avaliação das funções da inteligência. MÉTODO: Foram estudados 50 pacientes epilépticos em série consecutiva, com idade entre 19 e 49 anos. Também foram avaliados 20 sujeitos-controles, sem enfermidades neuropsiquiátricas, para efeito comparativo. Foi aplicado teste de inteligência para adultos de Wechsler-Bellevue em dois grupos, de pacientes e controles. Este teste é constituído de vários subtestes que avaliam funções cognitivas específicas. Os procedimentos de análise estatística foram efetuados segundo testes não-paramétricos. RESULTADOS: Em todos os subtestes do Wechsler-Bellevue, os pacientes apresentaram desempenho das funções da inteligência significativamente inferior ao dos controles (p<0,05), resultados corroborados pelas queixas dos mesmos quanto às funções cognitivas. CONCLUSAO: Pacientes com epilepsia parcial complexa apresentaram resultados significativamente inferiores no teste de inteligência quando comparados aos dos sujeitos sem epilepsia.

Vasopressin serum levels in patients with severe brain lesions and in brain-dead patients.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with severe brain lesions (SBL) and brain-dead patients (BD) frequently present with vasopressin (AVP) secretion disorders. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate AVP serum levels in SBL and BD patients. DESIGN: Prospective, open label, observational trial. SETTING: A general teaching hospital. METHOD: Three groups of adult subjects (age> 18y) of both sexes were included in this study: control group: 29 healthy volunteers; SBL group: 17 patients with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)< 8; and BD group: 11 brain-dead patients. Samples of venous blood were collected in the morning at rest from healthy volunteers and at 8 hourly intervals over a period of 24h from SBL and BD patients for AVP determinations. Concomitantly, some clinical and laboratorial variables were also recorded. RESULTS: AVP serum levels (pg/ml) were [mean (SD); median]: control [2.2(1.1); 2.0]; SBL [5.7(6.3); 2.9]; and BD [2.6(1.0); 2.8]. AVP serum levels varied greatly in SBL patients, but without statistically significant difference in relation to the other groups (p=0.06). Hypotension (p=0.02), hypernatremia (p=0.0001), serum hyperosmolarity (p=0.0001) and urinary hypoosmolarity (p=0.003) were outstanding in BD patients when compared with SBL. CONCLUSIONS: The AVP serum levels did not demonstrate significant statistical difference between the groups, only showing a greater variability in SBL patients (manifested as serum spike levels). Hypernatremia and hyperosmolarity were present in BD patients, indicating a failure of the hypothalamic-pituitary system in AVP production and release.

Attentional disorders in patients with complex partial epilepsy.

UNLABELLED: A study of concentrated attention patterns in epileptic patients was conducted with the objectives: characterization of the patients' epileptic condition; assessment of the concentrated attention levels in epileptic and nonepileptic individuals; comparison of the attention levels of the two groups. An evaluation was performed of 50 adult outpatients with complex partial seizures and 20 non-epileptic individuals (comparative group) at the Neuroepilepsy Ambulatory Unit, State University of Campinas SP, Brazil. METHOD: characterization of seizure types, frequency and duration; concentrated attention assessment (Concentrated Attention Test - Toulouse-Pi ron); comparison of the epileptic with non-epileptic individuals. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was observed between the groups with regard to Correct Response, Wrong Response and No Response. A difference was observed in relation to Time, but it was statistically insignificant. The epileptic patients presented inferior cognitive performance in relation to concentrated attention when compared with the non-epileptic individuals, findings compatible with the clinical complaints.

Attentional disorders in patients with complex partial epilepsy

A study of concentrated attention patterns in epileptic patients was conducted with the objectives: characterization of the patients' epileptic condition; assessment of the concentrated attention levels in epileptic and nonepileptic individuals; comparison of the attention levels of the two groups. An evaluation was performed of 50 adult outpatients with complex partial seizures and 20 non-epileptic individuals (comparative group) at the Neuroepilepsy Ambulatory Unit, State University of Campinas SP, Brazil. METHOD: characterization of seizure types, frequency and duration; concentrated attention assessment (Concentrated Attention Test - Toulouse-Piéron); comparison of the epileptic with non-epileptic individuals. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was observed between the groups with regard to Correct Response, Wrong Response and No Response. A difference was observed in relation to Time, but it was statistically insignificant. The epileptic patients presented inferior cognitive performance in relation to concentrated attention when compared with the non-epileptic individuals, findings compatible with the clinical complaints