American Academy of Neurology - 2007

Boston, Massachussetts
April 28-May 5, 2007

Please select from the following conference coverage topics:

Computerized Assessment Shows Balance Dysfunction in Migraine
Description: Evidence of postural instability on computerized dynamic posturography in individuals with a history of migraine verifies the long-presumed anecdotal link between balance problems and migraine, Dr. Gulden Akdal said May 1 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Allodynia Is Most Common in Transformed Migraine
Description: The prevalence of cutaneous allodynia among headache sufferers is significantly higher in those with transformed migraine and migraine than in patients with other types of headaches, Dr. Sait Ashina reported on May 2 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Allodynia, Phonophobia Appear Linked in Migraineurs
Description: - Migraineurs with allodynia also are likely to have phonophobia, according to a report presented as a poster May 2 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Adolescent Migraine Linked to Biology, Low Income
Description: The prevalence of migraine in adolescents is linked to biologic predisposition in those with a b family history of migraine and to household income among those who are not biologically predisposed to the condition, according to the results of a study reported on Wed., May 2, at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

New Scale Assesses Interictal Migraine Burden
Description:A new scale that measures the interictal burden of migraine has good internal consistency and reliability within and across multiple domains, according to a study presented May 1 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Stricter IHS Criteria May Underdiagnose New Daily Persistent Headache
Description: Many people who meet the Silberstein-Lipton criteria for new daily persistent headache would not qualify for the diagnosis under the more stringent 2004 International Headache Society criteria, according to a new analysis presented May 2 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Amateur Boxing Linked to Neurochemical Disturbances
Description: Participation in amateur boxing is directly associated with neuronal and astroglial damage, according to a small study presented today at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Adverse Biomarkers Don't Explain Cardiovascular Disease in Migraine
Description: Modest associations between migraine and adverse levels of certain cardiovascular biomarkers in a large cohort of women likely do not explain the connection between migraine and cardiovascular disease, Dr. Tobias Kurth said May 1 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Headaches and Migraine: High Prevalence in Older Teens, Rising in Young Children
Description: Approximately one in four adolescents aged 16-18 years in the United States is affected by severe headache or migraine, Dr. Tarannum Lateef reported May 2 in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Chronic Migraine, Medication Overuse Headaches Common Among Teen Headache Sufferers
Description: The prevalence of chronic daily headaches in adolescents increases with age and is higher in girls than boys, according to a study presented May 2 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Picture Becomes Clearer on Etiology of Rapid Eye Movement Behavior Disorder, Saper Says
Description: Neurologists are making great strides in describing the mechanisms by which movement disorders, such as rapid eye movement behavior disorder, occur, Dr. Clifford Saper, chairman of the department of neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, said in a plenary presentation at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Among Patients With CADASIL, Shunting Unrelated to Migraine, Says Study
Description: The presence of migraine with aura does not increase the likelihood of left-to-right shunting in patients with cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy, according to findings presented in a poster at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Severe Head Injury With Amnesia May Boost Later Risk of Multiple System Atrophy
Description: Severe head injury with amnesia is associated with a fourfold increased risk of multiple system atrophy later in life, according to preliminary analysis of a multicenter, case-control study presented May 1 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Ischemic Stroke as First Sign of Primary Amyloidosis Worsens Prognosis
Description: Patients with primary systemic amyloidosis who present initially with ischemic stroke have a worse prognosis than do patients who develop the cerebrovascular complication later in the disease course, according to study results presented on May 1 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

More Frequent Migraines, Female Sex, Obesity, Youth Boost Risk for Cutaneous Allodynia
Description: Cutaneous allodynia is linked to a greater frequency of migraine attacks, as well as female sex, obesity, younger age, greater degree of disability, and other comorbid disorders, according to Dr. Sait Ashina and coinvestigators.

Mental Health Screening Advised for Iraq War Veterans With Migraines
Description: In soldiers returning from combat in Iraq, a self-reported history of migraine headaches was associated with at least twice the risk of symptoms of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and anxiety as was seen in similar soldiers without migraines, based on a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Brief Migraine Questionnaire Could Help PCPs Better Assess, Manage Treatment
Description: A new five-question survey for patients to report the efficacy and tolerability of their migraine medications should help primary care physicians quickly discover any problems with treatment, according to Dr. Richard B. Lipton, who led the group of neurologists who developed and tested the questionnaire.

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