Knowledge and experience of dentists with patients with trigeminal neuralgia: A prospective, cross-sectional survey study.

OBJECTIVE: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and orofacial pain (OFP) patients frequently refer to dentists. It is often confused with odontogenic pain and dental procedures are performed. In this study, the authors aimed to reveal the knowledge and experience of dentists about TN. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study that includes dentists who participate in volunteering via an online questionnaire. The questionnaire form contains demographic data, TN treatment, and diagnosis consisting of 18 questions. RESULTS: The data of 229 dentists were examined. Almost 82% of the participants reportedly knew the diagnostic criteria of TN and 61.6% reported that they had previously referred patients with TN. The most frequently confused diagnosis was odontogenic pains (45.9%). CONCLUSION: TN diagnostic criteria should be included more often in the education of dentists. Thus, it is possible to prevent unnecessary dental procedures. There is a need to increase knowledge on this subject with further studies involving dental students.

Factors associated with early improvement after intravenous thrombolytic treatment in acute ischemic stroke.

OBJECTIVE: : The aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with early neurological improvement (ENI) in patients who experienced acute ischemic stroke and were treated with intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV rt-PA), and determine the relationship with the outcome at the first control. METHOD: : This study included 377 patients who were treated with IV rt-PA in Izmir Dokuz Eylül University Hospital between January 2010 and October 2018. ENI was defined as a 4 or more improvement in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score in the first hour, the twenty-fourth hour and the seventh day when compared to the pretreatment phase. The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0-1 score was defined as 'very good outcome'. RESULTS: : The basal NIHSS (p=0.003, p=0.003, p=0.022) was high in the first hour, twenty-fourth hour, and seventh day ENI groups. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level was low in the first- and twenty-fourth-hour ENI groups (p=0.007, p=0.020). Furthermore, admission glucose was low at the twenty-fourth hour and on the seventh day ENI groups (p=0.005, p=0.048). A high infarct volume was observed on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the twenty-fourth hour and on the seventh day non-ENI groups (p= <0.001, p= <0.001). CONCLUSION: : Management of factors associated with ENI and determination of treatment strategies accordingly are important for obtaining a better clinical outcome. It can help quickly select patients, who, even though they will not respond to rt-PA, may be appropriate candidates for bridging therapy.

Characteristic differences between vestibular migraine and migraine only patients.

BACKGROUND: Vestibular migraine (VM) is one of the most common causes of vertigo in clinical practice but it is not always easy to make the correct diagnosis. Our aims were to find out how VM patients differ from migraine only (MO) patients, to evaluate co-morbid depression in these two groups and to determine if their disease has an effect on their quality of life. METHODS: We studied 50 definite VM and 35 MO patients. Each patient was asked about: age of onset, duration of headaches, presence of aura, headache characteristics, triggering factors, associated features, motion sickness history and family history of migraine. VM patients were also asked about their vertigo attacks and accompanying symptoms. Each patient also completed the following questionnaires: (1) Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS); (2) headache severity with VAS (Visual Analog Scale); (3) Allodynia Symptom Checklist (ASC-12); (4) Beck Depression Inventory (BDI); (5) World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire Short Form-12 (WHOQL-SF12); (6) Activities Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC). VM patients also completed the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI). RESULTS: We found that VM patients were more likely than MO patients to be female, post-menopausal, depressed, motion sick, complaining of imbalance and of food-triggered headaches. In contrast, MO patients were more likely than VM patients to have severe headaches and that these can be triggered by certain odors and by noise. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed differences between VM and MO patients and attention to these differences could help clinicians diagnose, characterize and manage their VM patients.

Investigation of Medication Adherence and Factors Affecting It in Patients With Stroke.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Medication adherence is important in reducing the rate of secondary stroke in patients previously given a diagnosis of stroke. Therefore, there is a need to examine medication adherence and the factors affecting it in these patients. This study aimed to examine medication adherence in patients with stroke and the factors affecting it. METHODS: This study adopted a descriptive and cross-sectional design carried carried out on 183 stroke patients. Data were obtained between January and December 2019 using a sociodemographic and clinical characteristics form, the Morisky's Questions - Self-Reported Measure of Medication Adherence, the Turkish translation of the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire, the Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living Scale, and the revised Turkish version of Mini-Mental State Examination. RESULTS: The proportion of patients with high medication adherence was 33.9%. The sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients with stroke were found as not effective factors in medication adherence. Specific concerns and general overuse in the Turkish translation of the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire were found as factors affecting medication adherence. The Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living Scale and its subscales were found to be not effective factors in medication adherence. CONCLUSION: According to the results, the proportion of patients with high medication adherence was low. Patients' concerns about the possible side effects of their prescribed medications and beliefs about the overuse of medications negatively affected their medication adherence. It is recommended that nurses evaluate patients' medication adherence and beliefs about medications during hospitalization, discharge, or home visits. Structured nurse-led intervention programs are needed to enhance patients' medication adherence and beliefs about their medications.

Cluster headache: a single tertiary center study.

OBJECT: The characteristics of cluster headache (CH) patients in many countries and the diagnostic and therapeutic approach have been described in several publications, but so far no clinical data have been published from Turkey. MATERIAL METHODS: This is a cross-sectional retrospective study that includes all patients who were diagnosed with CH and referred to our headache clinic, Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine, Neurology Department from 1991 to January 2018. RESULTS: We included 114 patients (24 females and 90 males) in our study. The mean age at onset was 31.68 ± 12.72 (range 13-68). Eighty-six (78.18%) patients had episodic cluster headache (ECH) and 24 (21.82%) patients had chronic cluster headache (CCH). The age at onset was significantly higher in the patients with CCH than with ECH (p = 0.002). The most common location was orbitotemporal for both genders. The most common accompanying symptoms were lacrimation (80.73%). The male:female ratio in all patients was 3:7, 3.8:1 in those with CCH and 4:1 in those with ECH. Eighty-nine (87.25%) patients had prophylactic treatment and 60 of them received verapamil. CONCLUSION: In our study, some clinical features of our patients were similar to those of Europe and America or the Asian countries and some of them not. There are regional differences in cluster headache patients. With more awareness of cluster headache and research from many countries, clinical differences can be revealed more objectively in the future.

Medication overuse headache and awareness.

BACKGROUND: Medication overuse headache (MOH) is the worsening of an underlying headache due to the overuse of its acute treatment. Unintentionally, healthcare professionals may contribute to this condition. Health professionals play an important role in preventing this increasingly frequent and difficult-to-treat condition. OBJECTIVE: To investigate MOH awareness among physicians with headache through a survey conducted among medical doctors on our university campus. METHODS: This was an observational cross-sectional study about MOH awareness. The total number of medical doctors working in the Dokuz Eylül University Health Campus was provided by the administrative unit. A total of 18 questions were prepared and administered on a voluntary basis to obtain information about MOH awareness. RESULTS: A total of 312 medical doctors were surveyed, including 198 (63.5%) from internal medical sciences, 81 (26%) from surgical medical sciences, and 33 (10.5%) from basic medical sciences. Half of the physicians in our sample were unaware of MOH. Our results showed that awareness of MOH, was quite low even among medical doctors. CONCLUSIONS: MOH causes both labor and financial losses to countries and impairs the quality of life of patients. Preventing excessive use of medications by raising awareness among doctors is an important step to prevent the development of MOH.

Medication overuse headache and awareness / Cefaleia por abuso de medicação e conscientização

ABSTRACT Background: Medication overuse headache (MOH) is the worsening of an underlying headache due to the overuse of its acute treatment. Unintentionally, healthcare professionals may contribute to this condition. Health professionals play an important role in preventing this increasingly frequent and difficult-to-treat condition. Objective: To investigate MOH awareness among physicians with headache through a survey conducted among medical doctors on our university campus. Methods: This was an observational cross-sectional study about MOH awareness. The total number of medical doctors working in the Dokuz Eylül University Health Campus was provided by the administrative unit. A total of 18 questions were prepared and administered on a voluntary basis to obtain information about MOH awareness. Results: A total of 312 medical doctors were surveyed, including 198 (63.5%) from internal medical sciences, 81 (26%) from surgical medical sciences, and 33 (10.5%) from basic medical sciences. Half of the physicians in our sample were unaware of MOH. Our results showed that awareness of MOH, was quite low even among medical doctors. Conclusions: MOH causes both labor and financial losses to countries and impairs the quality of life of patients. Preventing excessive use of medications by raising awareness among doctors is an important step to prevent the development of MOH.

RESUMO Antecedentes: A cefaleia por uso excessivo de medicamentos (CEM) é o agravamento de uma cefaleia subjacente devido ao uso excessivo do seu tratamento agudo. Involuntariamente, os profissionais de saúde podem contribuir para essa condição. Os profissionais de saúde desempenham um papel importante na prevenção dessa condição cada vez mais frequente e de difícil tratamento. Objetivo: Investigar a conscientização da CEM entre médicos com dor de cabeça por meio de uma pesquisa realizada entre médicos em nosso campus universitário. Métodos: Este foi um estudo transversal observacional sobre a consciência da CEM. O número total de médicos que trabalham no Campus de Saúde da Universidade Dokuz Eylül foi fornecido pela unidade administrativa. Um total de 18 questões foram preparadas e aplicadas de forma voluntária para obter informações sobre a conscientização da CEM. Resultados: Um total de 312 médicos foram pesquisados, incluindo 198 (63,5%) das ciências médicas internas, 81 (26%) das ciências médicas cirúrgicas e 33 (10,5%) das ciências médicas básicas. Metade dos médicos de nossa amostra desconhecia a CEM. Nossos resultados mostraram que o conhecimento sobre a CEM era bastante baixo, mesmo entre os médicos. Conclusões: A CEM causa perdas laborais e financeiras aos países e prejudica a qualidade de vida dos pacientes. Prevenir o uso excessivo de medicamentos por meio da conscientização dos médicos é um passo importante para prevenir o desenvolvimento da CEM.

A Virtual Reality-Based Screening Test for Cognitive Impairment in Small Vessel Disease.

BACKGROUND: There is a need for new practical tools to assess the cognitive impairment of small vessel disease (SVD) patients in the clinic. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine cognitive functioning by administering the Virtual Supermarket (VST) in patients with SVD with cognitive impairment (SVD-CI, N = 32), cognitively normal SVD (SVD-CN, N = 37), and age-and education-matched healthy controls (HC, N = 30). METHODS: The tablet-based VST application and comprehensive traditional pencil-and-paper neuropsychological tests assessing memory, attention, executive function, visuospatial function, and language were administered to all participants. RESULTS: A moderate correlation was found between the "Duration" and "Correct Quantities" variables of VST and visuospatial function and general cognitive status composite Z scores across SVD-CI patients. "Duration" and "Correct Money" variables were moderately related to memory, executive functions, and visuospatial function composite Z scores across SVD-CN patients. A combination of all VST variables discriminated SVD-CI and HC with a correct classification rate of 81%, a sensitivity of 78%, and a specificity of 84%. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to evaluate cognitive functions employing the VST in SVD with and without cognitive impairment. It provides encouraging preliminary findings of the utility of the VST as a screening tool in the assessment of cognitive impairment and the differentiation of SVD patients from HC. In the future, validation studies of the VST with larger samples are needed.

[Internal carotid artery dissection which mimicry trigeminal neuralgia and cluster headache]. / Trigeminal nevralji ve küme basagrisini taklit eden internal karotid arter diseksiyonu.

Cervical artery dissection is an acute arterial disease. Although it is not a common disease, 40-60% cerebral infarction and 20-30% transient ischemic attack could be seen. Thus, cervical artery dissection is important to recognize. Fifty-three years old female patient consulted with head, neck and face endaural pain that started after than spread directly left face half, effect of sometimes orbita and sometimes submaxillary area, occasionally accompanied by redness in the eye, extending from a few minutes to a few hours, it has been sharp and pulsatil characteristics and she never experienced before similar. Although not typical, with the initial diagnosis was trigeminal neuralgia and cluster headache (CH), carbamazepine and tramadol treatment were started. The patient who had neck pain was severe during USG, and with atypical features was BT angioed to the brain and neck concerning differential diagnosis of the patient. It was detected profile compatible with dissection at left ICA proximal. In the literature, there are rare cases of ICA dissection mimicking CH and other trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias. A common recommendation in CH case reports is the need for neurovascular imaging in cases with atypical features.

A new tool to assess amnestic mild cognitive impairment in Turkish older adults: virtual supermarket (VSM).

The purpose of this study was to investigate cognitive functioning by administering the Virtual Supermarket (VSM) test in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI, N = 37) and age and education-matched healthy controls (HCs, N = 52). An extensive neuropsychological test battery and the VSM were administered to all participants. The aMCI group exhibited lower performance and required more time to complete the VSM compared to HCs. Also, aMCI-Multiple Domain (aMCI-MD) patients performed worse in the "Correct Types", "Correct Quantities", "Bought Unlisted", "Correct Money" variables compared to HCs. Moreover, aMCI-SD patients displayed lower performance in "Bought Unlisted" and "Correct Money" variables compared to HCs. The VSM variables correlated with established neuropsychological test scores. The VSM test was found to discriminate between aMCI and HCs with a correct classification rate (CCR) of 81%. This is a preliminary study showing that the VSM is a valid, brief and user-friendly test. .

Anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis during pregnancy: A case report.

Following a generalized tonic-clonic seizure, a previously healthy 27-year-old pregnant woman (18-week pregnancy) was admitted to our emergency department. She experienced lethargy, forgetfulness and persecutory hallucinations the day before hospitalization. Cerebrospinal fluid examination revealed moderate pleocytosis, and abdominal ultrasonography did not detect neoplasia. Orofacial dyskinesia, catatonia and central hypoventilation gradually developed despite medical intervention to ameliorate the symptoms. At 32 weeks of pregnancy, vaginal bleeding and hypotension occurred. Further, owing to septic shock due to fetal demise, the patient died. N-methyl-d-aspartate antibody test results obtained after the patient's death were positive (2++). Currently, no consensus exists on the appropriate treatment and follow-up for pregnant women with anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis; however, immunomodulators and teratoma resection may be helpful. Second line immunotherapy (rituximab, cyclophosphamide) and teratoma resection may be necessary in pregnant patients with high N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antibody titers and inadequate response to first-line treatment.

Comparison of conventional and modern methods in determining ischemic stroke etiology by general and stroke neurologists

Background/aim: This study aimed to investigate the consistency between stroke and general neurologists in subtype assignment using the Trial of ORG-10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) and Causative Classification of Stroke (CCS) systems. Materials and methods: Fifty consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients admitted to the stroke unit were recruited. Patients were classified by two stroke and two general neurologists, each from different medical centers, according to TOAST followed by the CCS. Each neurologist was assessed for consistency and compliance in pairs. Concordance among all four neurologists was investigated and evaluated using the kappa (ĸ) value. Results: The kappa (ĸ) value of diagnostic compliance between stroke neurologists was 0.61 (95% CI: 0.45­0.77) for TOAST and 0.78 (95% CI: 0.62­0.94) for CSS-5. The kappa (ĸ) value was 0.64 (95% CI: 0.48­0.80) for TOAST and 0.75 (95% CI: 0.60­0.91) for CCS-5 for general neurologists. Compliance was moderate [ĸ: 0.59 (95% CI: 0.52­0.65)] for TOAST and was strong [ĸ: 0.75 (95% CI: 0.68­0.81)] for CCS-5 for all 4 neurologists. 'Cardioembolism' (91.04%) had the highest compliance in both systems. The frequency of the group with 'undetermined etiologies' was less in the CCS (26%) compared to TOAST. Conclusion: The CCS system improved compliance in both stroke and general neurologists compared with TOAST. This suggests that the automatic, evidence-based, easily reproducible CCS system was superior to the TOAST system.

Psychometric Testing of the Turkish Version of the Stroke Self-Efficacy Questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: When stroke survivors return to their lives in society, they often face issues such as physical or cognitive impairment, dependence on others, social isolation, and reduced self-esteem, which may lead to disastrous consequences in patients' self-perceived self-efficacy and self-confidence in everyday life. Self-efficacy plays an important role in the well-being of stroke patients. Accurate assessment of the stroke patients' self-efficacy by health professionals is critical to obtaining data regarding their functioning levels. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Stroke Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (T-SSEQ). METHODS: A sample of 185 stroke patients (mean age = 64.78 ± 10.7) was recruited from a university hospital in Izmir, Turkey. Data were collected between April and October 2016. Translation and back-translation processes were used to translate the T-SSEQ into Turkish. Data were analyzed using the Rasch partial credit model with the Winsteps program to investigate the response scale analysis, tests of fit to the model, unidimensionality, local dependency, item and person separation reliability, separation index, and differential item functioning. RESULTS: The Rasch analysis showed goodness of fit for both the activity and self-management subscales. Moreover, both scales were identified as being unidimensional in structure. Furthermore, the participants were able to distinguish between the categories of the response options, and scale reliability was supported for both subscales using Rasch analyses. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: These results indicate that the T-SSEQ is acceptable for use with Turkish stroke patients in both practice and research settings. Furthermore, the questionnaire is suitable for nurses to use in designing interventions and evaluating stroke patients' self-efficacy in clinics, home care, and rehabilitation centers.

Effects on urinary outcome of patients and caregivers' burden of pelvic floor muscle exercises based on the health belief model done at home by post-stroke patients.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of pelvic floor muscle exercises (PFMEs) done by stroke patients at home in line with the health belief model (HBM) on patient care outcomes and caregivers' burdens. METHOD: In the study, a quasi-experimental design with a pre- and post-test control group was used. The study was conducted with 20 patients in the experimental group and 18 patients in the control group. The patients and caregivers were evaluated at baseline and after the 12-week PFME intervention performed at home. The data were analyzed with the chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, Wilcoxon signed rank test and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of the mean scores they obtained from the ICIQ-SF and I-QOL, the number of urinary incontinence episodes, pad test after interventions and quality of life scores (p < 0.05), while no statistically significant difference was found between the groups in terms of the mean scores for the Burden Interview (p > 0.05). An increase was determined in the self-efficacy of the patients in the experimental group after the PFMEs (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Given the results of the present study, it is recommended that in the management of post-stroke urinary incontinence, post-stroke patients should be encouraged to do PFME at home in line with the HBM, and they should be monitored periodically.

Spinal Epidural and Intracranial Subdural Haemorrhage that is a Complication of Spinal Anaesthesia.

Haemorrhage in the neuraxial region following spinal and epidural interventions is a rare and unexpected complication. Subdural haemorrhage is the most frequently occurring type. A 64-year-old male patient was admitted with complaints of severe headache and intermittent fever after 14 days of spinal anaesthesia and inguinal hernia operation. Neurological examination and systemic examination showed no features other than that for postural tremor. Cranial and spinal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging were requested for the differential diagnosis of the patient with secondary headaches. In MR, subacute subdural haemorrhage adjacent to the dura, limiting the posterior sulcus, and extra axial distance (not clearly distinguishable epidural-subdural distinction) along the entire spinal canal were detected. The patient who had no neurological deficit and no culture recruitment underwent conservative treatment. We would like to emphasize here that the coexistence of both intracranial subdural and spinal subdural-epidural haemorrhage can be seen as a complication after spinal anaesthesia, which has not been previously observed in the literature, along with the importance of headache after regional anaesthesia.

Experiences Related to Urinary Incontinence of Stroke Patients: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

INTRODUCTION: Poststroke urinary incontinence is a common problem, with a prevalence ranging from 32% to 79%. Urinary incontinence after stroke has negative physiological, psychological, and economic effects, which lead to lifestyle changes for both patients and caregivers. Nurses play an important role in preventing and improving incontinence, understanding the experiences of individuals experiencing incontinence, providing healthcare for them, and implementing behavioral therapy methods. The aim of this study was to determine the experience related to urinary incontinence of stroke patients. METHODS: In this qualitative descriptive study, using semistructured interviews, 15 participants with urinary incontinence after stroke selected through purposeful sampling were interviewed. Data were collected with a semistructured interview form prepared within the framework of the Health Belief Model. All data were analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: Three main themes were identified: "perception of urinary incontinence," "effects of urinary incontinence," and "management of urinary incontinence." The respondents explained that urinary incontinence also adversely affected their caregivers. They experienced many daily life and psychological problems because of urinary incontinence. In addition, they made several changes to management urinary incontinence such as limiting fluid intake, changing underwear frequently, using waterproof mattress protectors, applying traditional practice, and taking medicine. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that stroke patients needed help and support for urinary incontinence management. Nurses should provide information about management and urinary incontinence after stroke.

Analyses of the Turkish National Intravenous Thrombolysis Registry.

BACKGROUND: The relatively late approval of use of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) for acute ischemic stroke in Turkey has resulted in obvious underuse of this treatment. Here we present the analyses of the nationwide registry, which was created to prompt wider use of intravenous thrombolysis, as well as to monitor safe implementation of the treatment in our country. METHODS: Patients were registered prospectively in our database between 2006 and 2013. Admission and 24-hour National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and 3-month modified Rankin Scale scores were recorded. A "high-volume center" was defined as a center treating 10 or more patients with rt-PA per year. RESULTS: A total of 1133 patients were enrolled into the registry by 38 centers in 18 cities. A nearly 4-fold increase in the study population and in the number of participating centers was observed over the 6 years of the study. The mean baseline NIHSS score was 14.5 ± 5.7, and the prevalence of symptomatic hemorrhage was 4.9%. Mortality at 3 months decreased from 22% to 11% in the 6 years of enrollment, and 65% of cases were functionally independent. Age older than 70 years, an NIHSS score higher than 14 upon hospital admission, and intracranial hemorrhage were independently associated with mortality, and being treated in a high-volume center was related to good outcome. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a decreasing trend in mortality and an acceptable prevalence of symptomatic hemorrhage over 6 years with continuous addition of new centers to the registry. The first results of this prospective study are encouraging and will stimulate our efforts at increasing the use of intravenous thrombolysis in Turkey.

Management of free-floating thrombus within the arcus aorta and supra-aortic arteries.

INTRODUCTION: Clinical management strategy and the best treatment option of free floating thrombus (FFT), detected in patients with acute ischemic cerebrovascular diseases is still uncertain due to the rarity of these conditions. Recent studies emphasize that FFT within cerebral vessels may not be a surgical emergency since complete dissolution without any further neurologic progression occurred in 86% of patients treated medically. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of medical treatment on the fate of thrombus and the clinical status in acute cerebrovascular event patients with detected FFT in the artery feeding the compromised brain territory at the time of diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have retrospectively reviewed the initial and follow up computed tomography angiography, diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging examinations of 37 acute ischemic stroke patients with detected FFT and treated medically. The patients were evaluated for any change of the FFT, residual stenosis after the FFT shrunk or disappeared and neurologic outcome. RESULTS: FFT was located in cervical carotid artery, intracranial artery and arcus aorta in 23, 6 and 5 of the patients respectively. Dissection accompanied the FFT in 3 patients. Recanalization was maintained in 34 patients however, three of them suffered from new infarctions. A total occlusion was detected in three patients. Two of them had new infarcts while one was stable during clinical follow-up period. CONCLUSION: The results of our retrospective study have shown that FFT in the proximal aorta and supra-aortic arteries tend to resolve with anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet treatment without causing recurrent adverse events in most of the cases. Furthermore, resolution of the clot seems to provide a safer ground for a recanalization procedure like stenting or endarterectomy if needed.

Acute Treatment of Migraine.

Migraine is one of the most frequent disabling neurological conditions with a major impact on the patient's quality of life. Migraine has been described as a chronic disorder that characterized with attacks. Attacks are characterized by moderate-severe, often unilateral, pulsating headache attacks, typically lasting 4 to 72 hours. Migraine remains underdiagnosed and undertreated despite advances in the understanding of its pathophysiology. This article reviews management of migraine acute pharmacological treatment. Currently, for the acute treatment of migraine attacks, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and triptans (serotonin 5HT1B/1D receptor agonists) are recommended. Before intake of NSAID and triptans, metoclopramide or domperidone is useful. In very severe attacks, subcutaneous sumatriptan is first choice. The patient should be treated early in the attack, use an adequate dose and formulation of a medication. Ideally, acute therapy should be restricted to no more than 2 to 3 days per week to avoid medication overuse.

Efficacy and safety of 400 and 800 mg etodolac vs. 1,000 mg paracetamol in acute treatment of migraine: a randomized, double-blind, crossover, multicenter, phase III clinical trial.

AIM: We aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of etodolac, in acute migraine attacks in comparison with paracetamol (acetaminophen). METHODS: We designed a randomized, double-blind, crossover phase III clinical trial for patients diagnosed with migraine for at least 1 year, according to ICHD-II criteria. Two hundred and twenty-nine adult patients having 2 to 8 attacks monthly from 17 centers were included. The patients were instructed to use 3 attack treatment packages consisting of 1,000 mg paracetamol, 400 mg etodolac, and 800 mg etodolac on 3 migraine attacks of moderate-severe intensity each in a 3-month treatment period, interchangeably. RESULTS: Any pain medication was used in 1,570 migraine attacks while study treatments were used in 1,047 attacks. The results for 1,000 mg paracetamol, 400 mg etodolac, and 800 mg etodolac were as follows: response of headache at 2 hours 44.9%, 48.3% and 46.1%; pain-free at 2 hours 19.2%, 19.3% and 24.1%; sustained pain-free from 2 to 24 hours 34.3%, 38.3% and 41.1%; relapse rates in 2 to 24 hours 7.3%, 14.3% and 9.7%. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups regarding the headache response, pain-free, sustained pain-free, and relapse rates. Nausea, vomiting, phonophobia, or photophobia decreased similarly in all groups within 24 hours of treatment administration. Drug-related adverse events were noted in 8 patients with 1,000 mg paracetamol, in 9 patients with 400 mg etodolac and in 9 patients for 800 mg etodolac during the study. COMMENT: Our study showed that etodolac is a safe and effective alternative in acute migraine treatment and showed comparable efficacy to paracetamol 1,000 mg. Etodolac may be considered as an alternative option for acute treatment of migraine.