1. Hemiplegic migraine: hyperperfusion and abortive therapy with intravenous verapamil.
- Author
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Hsu DA, Stafstrom CE, Rowley HA, Kiff JE, and Dulli DA
- Subjects
- Adult, Brain blood supply, Brain drug effects, Brain physiopathology, Cerebral Angiography, Cerebral Arteries diagnostic imaging, Cerebral Arteries drug effects, Cerebral Arteries physiopathology, Cerebrovascular Circulation physiology, Cerebrovascular Disorders diagnostic imaging, Female, Gadolinium, Hemiplegia diagnostic imaging, Hemiplegia etiology, Hemiplegia physiopathology, Humans, Hyperemia diagnostic imaging, Injections, Intravenous, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Migraine with Aura diagnostic imaging, Pain drug therapy, Pain etiology, Pain physiopathology, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Treatment Outcome, Vasodilation drug effects, Vasodilation physiology, Vasodilator Agents administration & dosage, Cerebrovascular Circulation drug effects, Cerebrovascular Disorders physiopathology, Hyperemia physiopathology, Migraine with Aura drug therapy, Migraine with Aura physiopathology, Verapamil administration & dosage
- Abstract
A 20-year-old female with hemiplegic migraine was treated during an acute attack with intravenous verapamil, which reproducibly resolved the headache within 20 min but did not affect her hemiplegia. Magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomographic (CT) angiography and perfusion performed during the attack showed vasodilation and hyperperfusion. Cerebral hyperperfusion concurrent with hemiplegia suggests a dissociation between cerebral perfusion and neuronal function in hemiplegic migraine. The beneficial effect of verapamil on headache but not hemiplegia suggests a distinct mechanism for pain and neuronal dysfunction in hemiplegic migraine, with the beneficial effect on pain not due to vasodilation.
- Published
- 2008
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