Epidemiology and clinical features of short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To synthesize the available epidemiologic data on short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks (SUNHA). This, in turn, might inform diagnostic work-up and clinical decision-making. METHODS: EMBASE and PubMed were searched for observational studies reporting on the prevalence or relative frequency of SUNHA or its individual clinical features. Two investigators independently conducted title and abstract screening, full-text review, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment, and random-effects meta-analyses were performed to estimate the prevalence or relative frequency of SUNHA and its individual clinical features. RESULTS: Fifteen clinic-based studies met our eligibility criteria. Of these, five studies reported estimates on the relative frequency of SUNHA among adults evaluated for headache or facial pain, yielding a pooled relative frequency as 0.32% (95% confidence interval = 0.17-0.62; I2 = 89.9%). Most often, SUNHA presented as episodic, side-locked stabbing headache of severe pain intensity, predominantly affecting the ophthalmic and/or maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve. The most common cranial autonomic features were lacrimation, conjunctival injection, rhinorrhea and nasal congestion. CONCLUSIONS: SUNHA is a rare headache disorder with distinct clinical features. However, our findings must be interpreted with caution as a result of between-study heterogeneity and lack of population-based studies, underscoring the need for further epidemiologic research.

Expanding the Spectrum of Stress-Induced Childhood-Onset Neurodegeneration with Variable Ataxia and Seizures (CONDSIAS).

Stress-induced childhood-onset neurodegeneration with variable ataxia and seizures (CONDSIAS) is an extremely rare, autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder. It is caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in the ADPRS gene, which encodes an enzyme involved in DNA repair, and is characterized by exacerbations in relation to physical or emotional stress, and febrile illness. We report a 24-year-old female, who was compound heterozygous for two novel pathogenic variants revealed by whole exome sequencing. Additionally, we summarize the published cases of CONDSIAS. In our patient, onset of symptoms occurred at 5 years of age and consisted of episodes of truncal dystonic posturing, followed half a year later by sudden diplopia, dizziness, ataxia, and gait instability. Progressive hearing loss, urinary urgency, and thoracic kyphoscoliosis ensued. Present neurological examination revealed dysarthria, facial mini-myoclonus, muscle weakness and atrophy of hands and feet, leg spasticity with clonus, truncal and appendicular ataxia, and spastic-ataxic gait. Hybrid [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) of the brain revealed cerebellar atrophy, particularly of the vermis, with corresponding hypometabolism. MRI of the spinal cord showed mild atrophy. After informed consent from the patient, we initiated experimental, off-label treatment with minocycline, a poly-ADP-polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, which has shown beneficial effects in a Drosophila fly model. The present case report expands the list of known pathogenic variants in CONDIAS and presents details of the clinical phenotype. Future studies will reveal whether PARP inhibition is an effective treatment strategy for CONDIAS.

The Registry for Migraine (REFORM) study: methodology, demographics, and baseline clinical characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Erenumab has demonstrated effectiveness for prevention of migraine attacks, but the treatment is costly, and a considerable proportion of patients do not respond to it. The Registry for Migraine study (REFORM) was initiated to discover biomarkers that can predict response to erenumab in patients with migraine. The specific objective was to investigate differences in erenumab efficacy based on clinical information, blood-based biomarkers, structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and response to intravenous infusion of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). In this first report of the REFORM study, we provide a comprehensive description of the study methodology, and present the baseline characteristics of the study population. METHODS: The REFORM study was a single-center, prospective, longitudinal cohort study in adults with migraine who were scheduled to receive preventive treatment with erenumab as part of a separate, open-label, single-arm phase IV trial. The study included four periods: a 2-week screening period (Weeks -6 to -5), 4-week baseline period (Week -4 to Day 1), 24-week treatment period (Day 1 to Week 24), and a 24-week follow-up period without treatment (Week 25 to Week 48). Demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded using a semi-structured interview, whilst outcome data were obtained using a headache diary, patient-reported outcomes, blood sampling, brain MRI, and responsiveness to intravenous infusion of CGRP. RESULTS: The study enrolled 751 participants, with a mean age ± SD of 43.8 ± 12.2 years, of which 88.8% (n = 667) were female. At enrollment, 64.7% (n = 486) were diagnosed with chronic migraine, and 30.2% (n = 227) had history of aura. The mean monthly migraine days (MMDs) was 14.5 ± 7.0. Concomitant preventive medications were used by 48.5% (n = 364) of the participants, and 39.9% (n = 300) had failed ≥ 4 preventive medications. CONCLUSION: The REFORM study enrolled a population with a high migraine burden and frequent use of concomitant medications. The baseline characteristics were representative of patients with migraine in specialized headache clinics. Future publications will report the results of the investigations presented in this article. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study and sub-studies were registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04592952; NCT04603976; and NCT04674020).

The effect of Lu AG09222 on PACAP38- and VIP-induced vasodilation, heart rate increase, and headache in healthy subjects: an interventional, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), structurally related to vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), is one of the important mediators in the pathogenesis of migraine and is known to dilate cranial arteries and induce headache and migraine. Our objective was to determine whether Lu AG09222-an investigational humanized monoclonal antibody directed against PACAP ligand-would inhibit the PACAP-signaling cascade by abolishing its vasodilatory and headache-inducing abilities. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, single-dose, placebo-controlled study of Lu AG09222, healthy volunteers aged 18-45 years without history of headache disorders were randomly allocated to three treatment sequences (1:2:2) on two experimental infusion visits with 9 ± 3 days' interval: placebo + saline + saline (n = 5), placebo + PACAP38 + VIP (n = 10), and Lu AG09222 + PACAP38 + VIP (n = 10). The primary outcome measure was area under the curve (AUC) of the change in superficial temporal artery (STA) diameter from 0 to 120 min after start of infusion of PACAP38. The study was conducted at the Danish Headache Center in Copenhagen, Denmark. RESULTS: In participants who received Lu AG09222 + PACAP38 infusion, there was a significantly lower STA diameter (mean (SE) [95% CI] AUC ‒35.4 (4.32) [‒44.6, ‒26.3] mm × min; P < 0.0001) compared to participants who received placebo + PACAP38 infusion. Secondary and explorative analysis revealed that PACAP38 infusion induced an increase in facial blood flow, heart rate and mild headache, and indicated that these PACAP38-induced responses were inhibited by Lu AG09222. CONCLUSIONS: This proof-of-mechanism study demonstrated that Lu AG09222 inhibited PACAP38-induced cephalic vasodilation and increases in heart rate, and reduced concomitant headache. Lu AG09222 may be a potential therapy against migraine and other PACAP-mediated diseases. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04976309. Registration date: July 19, 2021.

A Unique Constellation of Multiple Cranial Neuropathies in a Patient with Preeclampsia.

A 36-year-old nullipara at 35 weeks of gestation woke up with slurred speech and dysphagia. The next day, she developed abruption of the placenta, underwent an acute cesarean, and was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia. Neurologic examination revealed flaccid dysarthria, bilateral soft palate palsy, reduced taste of the left posterior tongue, left-sided tongue deviation, and paralysis of the left sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles. MRI revealed left-sided tongue edema compatible with acute left hypoglossal nerve denervation and electromyography of the left trapezius and glossal muscles showed profuse denervation potentials. In conclusion, multiple cranial neuropathies may occur in and even be a presenting symptom of preeclampsia. In this study, we report the first case of multiple cranial neuropathies involving cranial nerves IX, X, XI, and XII in a patient with preeclampsia. Possible pathogenic mechanisms of cranial neuropathy in preeclampsia include immune-mediated neuropathy with or without demyelination, microvascular thromboses, and perineural edema.

Is calcitonin gene-related peptide a reliable biochemical marker of migraine?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of this study was to provide an overview of clinical studies on calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) measurements in body fluids of migraine patients and to discuss the validity of CGRP measurement as a clinical biomarker of migraine. RECENT FINDINGS: Several studies have reported increased CGRP levels in venous blood, saliva and tear fluid of migraine patients compared with healthy controls and in migraine patients during attacks compared with the interictal state, suggesting that CGRP may be a feasible biomarker of migraine. However, the findings of studies investigating CGRP levels in migraine patients are generally conflicting and measurements of CGRP levels are challenged by several methodological issues. Reported differences in CGRP levels between patients with chronic migraine relative to episodic migraine have also been inconsistent. There is also a well documented involvement of CGRP in several nonmigraine pain disorders, including cluster headache and common pain conditions such as osteoarthritis. SUMMARY: Current evidence does not justify the usage of CGRP levels as a biomarker for diagnosing migraine or for determining the severity of the disease in individual patients. However, CGRP measurements could prove useful in the future as clinically relevant biomarkers for predicting the response to therapy, including anti-CGRP migraine drugs.

Novel Homozygous Truncating Variant Widens the Spectrum of Early-Onset Multisystemic SYNE1 Ataxia.

Pathogenic variants in the SYNE1 gene are associated with a phenotypic spectrum spanning from late-onset, slowly progressive, relatively pure ataxia to early-onset, fast progressive multisystemic disease. Since its first description in 2007 as an adult-onset ataxia in French Canadian families, subsequent identification of patients worldwide has widened the clinical spectrum and increased the number of identified pathogenic variants. We report a 20-year-old Faroese female with early-onset progressive gait problems, weakness, dysphagia, slurred speech, orthostatic dizziness, and urge incontinence. Neurological examination revealed mild cognitive deficits, dysarthria, broken slow pursuit, hypometric saccades, weakness with spasticity, hyperreflexia, absent ankle reflexes, ataxia, and wide-based, spastic gait. Magnetic resonance imaging displayed atrophy of the cerebellum, brainstem, and spinal cord. Severely prolonged central motor conduction time and lower motor neuron involvement was demonstrated electrophysiologically. Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) scan showed hypometabolism of the cerebellum and right frontal lobe. Muscle biopsy revealed chronic neurogenic changes and near-absent immunostaining for Nesprin-1. Next-generation sequencing revealed a previously undescribed homozygous truncating, likely pathogenic variant in the SYNE1 gene. The patient's mother and paternal grandfather were heterozygous carriers of the variant. Her father's genotype was unobtainable. We expand the list of likely pathogenic variants in SYNE1 ataxia with a novel homozygous truncating variant with proximity to the C-terminus and relate it to a phenotype comprising early-onset cerebellar deficits, upper and lower motor neuron involvement and cognitive deficits. Also, we report novel findings of focally reduced frontal lobe FDG-PET uptake and motor evoked potential abnormalities suggestive of central demyelination.

Metronidazole-induced encephalopathy: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Metronidazole, a commonly used antibiotic drug, can cause adverse effects in the central nervous system termed metronidazole-induced encephalopathy, leading to diagnostic challenges. The condition is rare and a detailed description of its phenotype is lacking. In this systematic review we investigated the clinical features of metronidazole-induced encephalopathy to promote recognition and elaborate the description. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature search using PubMed.gov and hand searched the reference lists of included articles and other publications of interest. We included case series and single reports describing individual patients developing symptoms from the central nervous system in relation to metronidazole treatment. Data were extracted and analyzed descriptively. RESULTS: We identified 779 publications of which 112 papers comprising 136 patients were included. Typical findings were dysarthria, gait instability, limb dyscoordination and altered mental status. Frequently, patients concomitantly presented with metronidazole-induced polyneuropathy. Liver disease was the most common pre-existing condition. MRI showed a characteristic pattern of reversible symmetrical hyperintense lesions on T2/FLAIR of the dentate nuclei in 90% of patients. Most patients improved significantly after discontinuation of metronidazole. Poor outcome was associated with severe comorbidity. CONCLUSION: Metronidazole-induced encephalopathy should be considered in patients presenting with neurological symptoms in relation to newly initiated or prolonged metronidazole treatment. MRI changes are highly characteristic and specific. Patients with liver disease are at increased risk. Prognosis is good if recognized early.

Convulsive Seizures as Presenting Symptom of Metronidazole-Induced Encephalopathy: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Encephalopathy and convulsive seizures are rare manifestations of metronidazole toxicity. The incidence is unknown, but the condition has most frequently been reported in patients in their fifth to sixth decades. Usually, this condition is regarded as reversible, but permanent deficits and even death have been reported. CASE REPORT: A 66-year-old female patient undergoing metronidazole treatment for pleural empyema was admitted to our institution after her second episode of seizure. Over the course of 1 week after admittance, the patient developed several convulsive seizures along with progressive cerebellar dysfunction and cognitive impairment. MRI revealed bilateral, symmetrical hyperintense signal changes in the pons and dentate nuclei. EEG, ECG, lumbar puncture, and blood samples were normal. The patient improved already 2-3 days after discontinuation of metronidazole and was discharged fully recovered after 17 days. Follow-up clinical assessment and MRI were unremarkable. CONCLUSION: Metronidazole-induced encephalopathy is a rare condition, and due to a general lack of awareness the diagnosis is often delayed. This condition should be considered in metronidazole-treated patients presenting with unprovoked seizures, myoclonus, cerebellar signs, and encephalopathy. Characteristic MRI lesions may support the clinical suspicion.