Desencadenantes migrañosos y habituación del potencial evocado visual. Definiendo subgrupos de pacientes / Migraine triggers and habituation of visual evoked potentials. Defining subset of patient

Identificar subgrupos específicos de pacientes dentro del espectro clínico de la migraña podría ayudar a personalizar el tratamiento de la misma. Definir perfiles de pacientes según su relación entre las características clínicas y los biomarcadores neurofisiológicos sería de suma importancia y es en gran medida un ámbito inexplorado. Los ataques de migraña pueden ser desencadenados por distintos factores, entre los cuales el estrés, los cambios hormonales, el ayuno y la falta de sueño son los mayormente asociados. Los desencadenantes de la migraña no forman parte de los criterios diagnósticos, pero pueden caracterizar subgrupos de pacientes. La deficiente habituación a los estímulos visuales repetidos es una característica neurofisiológica comúnmente encontrada en las cohortes de migraña, sin embargo, no se puede demostrar en todos los pacientes y no se ha reproducido en todos los estudios. Se puede suponer que los pacientes con diferentes perfiles de habituación pueden diferir por rasgos fenotípicos, como los desencadenantes de las crisis. Por ello nos propusimos estudiar qué asociación existe entre los desencadenantes del ataque de migraña y la habituación de los potenciales evocados visuales (PEV). (AU)

Identifying specific subsets of patients within the widespread clinical spectrum of migraine could help in developing a beneficial migraine treatment approach. The possibility of such categorization combining clinical features with accessible para-clinical tests remains quasi unexplored. Migraine attacks can be triggered by different factors, among which stress, hormonal changes, fasting, and lack of sleep are the most frequently referenced.1 Migraine triggers are not part of the diagnostic criteria for migraine, but they may characterize subgroups of patients. Also, deficient habituation to repeated stimulations is a neurophysiological feature commonly found in migraine cohorts, however it cannot be demonstrated in all patients and has not been reproduced in all studies. One may thus assume that patients with different habituation profiles might differ by phenotypic features, such as attack triggers. Therefore, we analyzed the visual evoked potentials habituation (VEP)4 profile in relation to the report of migraine triggers during a head-to-head, semi-structured interview, which preceded the neurophysiological recordings. (AU)

[Mesial temporal sclerosis syndrome in adult patients]. / Síndrome de la esclerosis mesial temporal en pacientes adultos.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an essential tool in the work-up of epilepsy. Since its appearance it has been possible to identify pathologies, such as hippocampal sclerosis (HS), that had previously only been detected by histopathological assays. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical manifestations, EEG and the outcome of patients with HS as shown by MRI. We revised the clinical histories of 384 outpatients from the Epilepsy Center, Ramos Mejía Hospital, who had been studied by MRI. Thirty five of them (15.5%) had a diagnosis of HS, based on the structural changes observed on the images. Six patients were excluded because of incomplete clinical data. Therefore, we studied 29 patients including 15 men. The mean age was 32.7 +/- 10.2 years (range: 19-58). All of them had partial seizures. Ten subjects had had febrile convulsions (34.5%) in childhood. Neurological examination was normal in all subjects. Interictal EEG showed focal abnormalities that were coincident in their location with the MRI abnormalities in 16 patients (55.1%). Fourteen patients (48.3%) showed right side hippocampal lesions on MRI, thirteen on the left side (44.9%) and 2 bilateral HS (6.8%). Twenty-seven patients (93.1%) had intractable epilepsy. Anterior temporal lobectomy was performed in 3 subjects with good outcome. The identification of these patients who present certain clinical and MRI characteristics, provides an opportunity to define the mesial temporal sclerosis syndrome. This could benefit patients in their prognosis and for specific treatments.

[Epworth drowsiness scale value in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome]. / Valor de la escala de somnolencia de Epworth en el diagnóstico del síndrome de apneas obstructivas del sueño.

Hypersomnia is one of the most consulted symptoms among patients evaluated at sleep disorder centers and it is frequently related to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Our hypothesis is that Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) is the parameter with the greatest predictive value in the OSAS diagnosis. We compared patients with OSAS diagnosis to a control group. In both groups we compared ESS with body mass index (BMI), neck circumference (NC), waist perimeter (WP). Anthropometric index (BMI, NC and WC), were similar in both groups (p < 0.10). When we analyzed ESS, a score greater than 10 was observed in the OSAS group, with a significant difference between groups (p < 0.001). Epworth sleepiness scale yielded 60% of sensibility, 82% of specificity and a positive predictive value of 85%. The negative predictive value was 52%. Confidence index was 70%. The relationship between OSAS and ESS scale was significant (Pearson Chi-Square value 7.5). Odds Ratio for apneas was 15 and its confidence interval was lower than 1.5 and upper than 141. We conclude that with ESS score exceeding 10 points OSAS should be suspected.

Síndrome de la esclerosis mesial temporal en pacientes adultos. / [Mesial temporal sclerosis syndrome in adult patients]

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an essential tool in the work-up of epilepsy. Since its appearance it has been possible to identify pathologies, such as hippocampal sclerosis (HS), that had previously only been detected by histopathological assays. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical manifestations, EEG and the outcome of patients with HS as shown by MRI. We revised the clinical histories of 384 outpatients from the Epilepsy Center, Ramos Mejía Hospital, who had been studied by MRI. Thirty five of them (15.5

) had a diagnosis of HS, based on the structural changes observed on the images. Six patients were excluded because of incomplete clinical data. Therefore, we studied 29 patients including 15 men. The mean age was 32.7 +/- 10.2 years (range: 19-58). All of them had partial seizures. Ten subjects had had febrile convulsions (34.5

) in childhood. Neurological examination was normal in all subjects. Interictal EEG showed focal abnormalities that were coincident in their location with the MRI abnormalities in 16 patients (55.1

). Fourteen patients (48.3

) showed right side hippocampal lesions on MRI, thirteen on the left side (44.9

) and 2 bilateral HS (6.8

). Twenty-seven patients (93.1

) had intractable epilepsy. Anterior temporal lobectomy was performed in 3 subjects with good outcome. The identification of these patients who present certain clinical and MRI characteristics, provides an opportunity to define the mesial temporal sclerosis syndrome. This could benefit patients in their prognosis and for specific treatments.

Valor de la escala de somnolencia de Epworth en el diagnóstico del síndrome de apneas obstructivas del sueño. / [Epworth drowsiness scale value in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome]

Hypersomnia is one of the most consulted symptoms among patients evaluated at sleep disorder centers and it is frequently related to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Our hypothesis is that Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) is the parameter with the greatest predictive value in the OSAS diagnosis. We compared patients with OSAS diagnosis to a control group. In both groups we compared ESS with body mass index (BMI), neck circumference (NC), waist perimeter (WP). Anthropometric index (BMI, NC and WC), were similar in both groups (p < 0.10). When we analyzed ESS, a score greater than 10 was observed in the OSAS group, with a significant difference between groups (p < 0.001). Epworth sleepiness scale yielded 60

of sensibility, 82

of specificity and a positive predictive value of 85

. The negative predictive value was 52

. Confidence index was 70

. The relationship between OSAS and ESS scale was significant (Pearson Chi-Square value 7.5). Odds Ratio for apneas was 15 and its confidence interval was lower than 1.5 and upper than 141. We conclude that with ESS score exceeding 10 points OSAS should be suspected.