New Daily Persistent Headache: Historical Review and an Interview with Dr. Walter Vanast.

New daily persistent headache (NDPH) is an idiopathic headache syndrome characterized by the abrupt onset of an unremitting, daily, continuous headache without an antecedent escalating headache pattern, and not attributable to other primary or secondary headache disorders. We review the history of NDPH in terms of its characterization and classification, and then interview Dr. Walter Vanast, the neurologist who initially described NDPH three decades ago, to gain his perspective now that there is more widespread recognition and interest in this syndrome.

Living with osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-ethnography.

OBJECTIVES: To review and synthesize the existing literature on the experience of living with a diagnosis of hip and/or knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHOD: A systematic review was undertaken using meta-ethnography. A search of both published (AMED, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsychINFO, SportsDisc, MEDLINE, Cochrane Clinical Trials Registry, PubMed) and unpublished/trial registry databases [World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, Current Controlled Trials, the United States National Institute of Health Trials Registry, National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Portfolio Database] was undertaken from their inception to 5 June 2013. RESULTS: Thirty-two studies formed the meta-ethnography of the lived experiences of people with OA. In total, 1643 people with OA were sampled, the majority diagnosed with knee OA. The evidence base was weak to moderate in quality. The majority of studies indicated that people viewed living with OA negatively. Four key factors influenced their attitudes to the condition: the severity of their symptoms; the impact of these symptoms on their functional capability; their attitude towards understanding their disease; and their perceptions of other people's beliefs towards their disease. CONCLUSIONS: The current literature suggests that greater knowledge of the pathology of OA, management of symptoms, promotion of functional activity for patients and their family/friends networks, and understanding to better inform OA patient's role in society are all important elements that affect a person's attitude to OA. By better understanding these factors during future consultations, clinicians may forge stronger relationships with their patients to more effectively manage this long-term disabling condition.

Headaches and brain tumors.

This article overviews headache and brain tumors, particularly from the diagnostic point of view of patients presenting with headache as their major symptom. Common and uncommon brain tumors can produce headache and investigation is warranted if any red flags are present. An overview of particular tumors and their presentations are covered along with some investigative suggestions and pertinent treatment strategies for some patients.

Dysmetropsia and Cotard's syndrome due to migrainous infarction - or not?

INTRODUCTION: Migrainous infarction accounts for 12.8% of ischemic strokes of unusual etiology. CASE REPORT: A 59-year-old woman with longstanding migraine with aura experienced what appeared to be migrainous infarction characterized by dysmetropsia and transient Cotard's syndrome. Imaging demonstrated right temporal-parietal-occipital changes with apparent cortical laminar necrosis. CONCLUSION: The spectrum of the pathophysiology of migrainous infarction has not been established; however, cortical spreading depression may explain the appearance of imaging findings that do not obey a vascular territory.

Closing remarks: what future prospects can we expect in migraine management?

The future prospects that we can expect in migraine management are both exciting and challenging. Obviously, the future cannot be predicted fully; however, the science related to migraine pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment has increased exponentially over the past two decades and continues to direct future research and clinical care. More than any time in the recent past, it now may be more possible to define better what migraine is and how it relates to other neurological disorders and other diseases. This overview will look at future prospects for management of migraine and how they relate to the migraine diathesis, and ways that might provide a better understanding of how it might be possible to calm the excitable brain. This meeting examined potential future developments in the management of migraine patients, with emphasis on disability, quality of life, and the role of patient personality in episodic and chronic migraine with substance/analgesic overuse. This meeting precedes the main theme of the seminar, which explores the relationships between pain, emotion and headache in light of recent findings, which show that pain and emotion are closely interrelated and contribute to the pathophysiology of headache. Thus, it is important to understand about future migraine management prospects in terms of known migraine pathophysiology, as current data provide support for the concept that migraine is a brain disorder.

Dangerous and thunderclap headaches.

The International Classification of Headache Disorders-II considers dangerous and thunderclap headaches as secondary headaches--in other words due to an underlying cause. Many, but not all of the underlying etiologies, are vascular disorders, and many are potentially life threatening. An especially comprehensive clinical approach is necessary when seeing patients with these potential disorders.

Annual scientific meeting--American Headache Society Washington 2011--highlights.

The 53rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Headache Society was held in Washington from June 2 to 5, 2011. Important clinical and basic science information was presented at this meeting. This is a review of the highlights of that meeting dealing in many areas of headache medicine. Once again, this meeting, which is the premier scientific meeting of the American Headache Society, provided lots of new and exciting information about multiple facets of migraine headache and other disorders.