ABSTRACT
The aim of the current study was to estimate the prevalence of all primary headaches and cranial neuralgias in the general community. As part of the population-based Bruneck Study, 574 men and women aged 55-94 years underwent extensive neurological and laboratory examinations involving a standardized headache interview. In the Bruneck Study population the lifetime prevalence of all primary headaches combined and of cranial neuralgias was 51.7 and 1.6%, respectively. Tension-type headache (40.9%) and migraine (19.3%) emerged as the most common types of headache. In men and women aged 55-94 years the 1-year prevalence of primary headaches was high at 40.5%. In this age range headaches caused significant impairment of health-related quality of life. The Bruneck Study has confirmed the high lifetime prevalence of primary headaches and cranial neuralgias in the general population and provided first valid prevalence data for all primary headaches based on International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edition criteria.
Subject(s)
Cranial Nerves , Headache Disorders, Primary/epidemiology , Neuralgia/epidemiology , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Interviews as Topic , Italy/epidemiology , Logistic Models , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Middle Aged , Prevalence , Quality of LifeABSTRACT
Lithium dosage was examined in 3 age groups (less than or equal to 45 years, 46-64 years, greater than or equal to 65 years) of 78 inpatients, matched on relevant variables. Although mean steady-state lithium plasma levels showed no essential differences, mean daily lithium doses were significantly lower in the elderly. The ratio of weight-related lithium dose to plasma level showed a 36% decline with age (0.58, 0.46 and 0.37 1/kg, P less than 0.0001, analysis of variance). Comparing different decades this ratio, indicating the dose required for a certain plasma level, displayed a clear-cut decrease at 50 years. This may be caused by age-related changes in apparent volume of distribution and/or in elimination half-life of lithium, the latter being the consequence of age-related decrease of glomerular filtration rate.
Subject(s)
Bipolar Disorder/drug therapy , Lithium/therapeutic use , Psychotic Disorders/drug therapy , Age Factors , Aged , Bipolar Disorder/blood , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Female , Humans , Lithium/blood , Male , Middle Aged , Psychotic Disorders/bloodABSTRACT
We examined the nerve conduction velocity (NCV) of 10 patients under long-term lithium therapy and 10 patients after a 3-month lithium therapy. In accordance with the literature concerning patients and normals under experimental treatment with lithium, we also found reduced NCV values. There were no significant changes in NCV during the first 3 months of lithium treatment. This could be due to the relative low lithium levels as well as to symptoms of manic-depressive Illness and the nerve examined.
