Current Journal of Neurology
Year:2011 | Volume:10 | Issue:3-4|Papers Count:7

Background: Migraine is a prevalent disease which is classified into two groups of migraine with aura and without aura. Eighteen percent of women and 6.5 percent of men in United States have migraine headache. Migraine headache is prevalent in all age groups but it usually subsides in adults above fifty. Migraine has many risk factors such as stress, light, tiredness, special foods and beverages. The aim of this study was the evaluation of the effects of body mass index (BMI) on the treatment of migraine headaches.

Background: Migraine is one of the most common headaches that affect 11% or more adult population.Recently, researchers have designed two questionnaires, namely Headache Impact Test (HIT) and Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS), with the aim of improving migraine care. These two tests provide a standard measurement about migraine’s effects on people's life style that divide patients into 4 groups (grades) based on headaches intensity. The aim of this study was to compare the validity and reliability of these two tests.

Background: Epileptic seizures would result in embarrassment in society and have some negative impact on the patients’ social activities. The aim of this study was to show the perceived impact of epilepsy by patients on different aspect of their social activities including occupation, marriage and education.Methods: We studied 179 epileptic patients aged 16 years and over using face to face interview. Nine domains including relation to spouses, relation to family members, social life, general health, interpersonal communications and friendships, feelings about success, hope for future, ordinary life and cope with others were considered.

Background: Some coincidental disorders with migraine have been introduced that may have role in its pathogenesis or aggravation. In this study we determined the relative frequency of hyperlipidemia as a coincidental disorder in patients affected by migraine.Methods: A total of 102 migraine-affected patients according to International Headache Society (HIS) criteria and 103 control subjects adjusted for age participated in this case-control study. Their serum level of triglyceride, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured.

Background: The main purpose of the current study was to determine the effect of treating helicobacter pylori (HP) infection on seizure frequency in patients with refractory epilepsy.Methods: A small sample of adult patients above 18 years of age with a diagnosis of refractory epilepsy was studied at the outpatient epilepsy clinic at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, from January 2009 through June 2011. If and when urea breath test result was positive, an upper endoscopy with multiple gastric biopsies was requested. Rapid urease test and histopathology examination were performed. For patients with confirmed HP infection, treatment with clarithromycin, amoxicillin and omeprazole was ordered for two weeks. Seizure frequency was recorded before and after HP treatment.

Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome (BVVLS) is a rare neurological disorder. We report our finding about four patients clinically and electrophysiologically diagnosed as BVVLS and denoted their clinical features with comparison to previous reports. The first symptom was bilateral hearing loss and the onset of other cranial nerves involvement varied between 0-15 years. Our patients represented some rare features like upper motor neuron signs in one patient and two cases interestingly developed some clinical improvement. This is the first report of BVVLS from Iran. Our patients which represent Caucasian population had generally similar features like previously reported cases.

Dear Editor: Stroke is the second leading cause of mortality in the China and one of the leading causes of severe morbidity. An early risk assessment with estimate of the severity of disease and prognosis is pivotal for optimized care and allocation of healthcare resources. Reliable prognostic markers available during the initial phase after acute stroke may aid clinical decision-making.Vasopressin (AVP) is a potent synergistic factor of corticotropin-releasing hormone as hypothalamic stimulator of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis.Some studies found increased AVP levels in patients with ischemic stroke were correlated with stroke severity and outcome. Copeptin is released in an equimolar ratio to AVP, and is more stable in the circulation and easy to measure.