Showing papers by "Cristina Tassorelli published in 2000"

Migraine as a complex disease: heterogeneity, comorbidity and genotype-phenotype interactions.

Abstract: Migraine is a chronic illness interspersed with acute signs and symptoms which is currently defined, according to IHS criteria, in terms of "attacks". However, this should not lead us to ignore a critical point emerging from the simple observation of patients, i.e. the variability of the combinations in which the disease manifests itself in the same individual and especially in different individuals. This heterogeneity underpins both migraine "as attacks" (e.g. presence/absence of aura, different pain severity) and migraine "as a disease" (e.g. different onset, occurrence, association with other diseases, evolution, outcome). Genetic determinants are certainly at the basis of some migraine forms, and the role of genetics is now increasing due to the better phenotypical characterization rendered possible by the 1988 criteria. In most cases, however, migraine occurs as multifactorial inherited character. The level of complexity is further increased by the effect of "modifying" genes (such as those encoding for dopamine receptors), by comorbidity (the non coincidental association with other neurological diseases), and by the fact that the expression of comorbidity varies over time (phenotypical heterochronia). The clinical-descriptive approach allows only a partial understanding of migraine, the nature of which is more complex and heterogeneous than previously thought.

Case-control study on the epidemiology of cluster headache, II: Anthropometric data and personality profile

Abstract: Several papers have been published on the possible risk factors and conditions associated with CH which may provide clues to its underlying etiopathogenesis, including a typical physical appearance and peculiar psychological characteristics. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence of peculiar somatic and psychological features in CH patients by means of a case-control study. One hundred and twenty CH patients and as many gender- and age-matched controls completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and underwent 20 cranial and body measurements. The photographs of 71 male subjects (38 cases and 33 controls) were examined by two experienced neurologists who had to decide which subjects were affected by CH. Both cases and controls showed normal personality profiles, without any significant difference emerging between them. None of the head, facial or body measurements differed between cases and controls, except for midface height. The sensitivity and specificity of the patients' pictures for the diagnosis of CH were found by examiner 1 to be 0.71 and 0.67 respectively, and by examiner 2 to be 0.63 and 0.58 respectively. CH patients do not seem to have a peculiar personality profile. While their physiques do not seem to differ substantially from those of the general population, certain skull and/or skin characteristics could lend some patients a typical face appearance.