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Biomedical subjects

G M Terwindt

Publications and source records attributed to G M Terwindt.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

['Migraine and a hole in the heart': causal relationship between migraine and patent foramen ovale not established].

The relationship between patent foramen ovale (PFO) and migraine is controversial. A common genetic background seems possible, but there is no evidence for a causal relationship. Despite the lack of evidence, PFO closure is recommended in many countries as a remedy for migraine. At present, PFO closure for migraine should only be carried out under strictly controlled clinical trial conditions.

Genetic Predisposition to Disease↗

Severe episodic neurological deficits and permanent mental retardation in a child with a novel FHM2 ATP1A2 mutation.

OBJECTIVE: Attacks of familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) are usually associated with transient, completely reversible symptoms. Here, we studied the ATP1A2 FHM2 gene in a young girl with episodes of both very severe and transient neurological symptoms that were triggered by mild head trauma as well as permanent mental retardation. Her family members suffered from hemiplegic and confusional migraine attacks. METHODS: Mutation analysis of the ATP1A2 gene was performed by direct sequencing of all exons and flanking intronic regions, using genomic DNA of the proband. Functional consequences of the mutation were analyzed by cellular survival assays. RESULTS: We identified a novel G615R ATP1A2 mutation in the proband and several of her family members. Functional analysis of mutant Na,K-ATPase in cellular survival assays showed a complete loss-of-function effect. INTERPRETATION: Permanent mental retardation in children may be caused by ATP1A2 mutations.

Arginine↗

Epidemiology of headache in Europe.

The present review of epidemiologic studies on migraine and headache in Europe is part of a larger initiative by the European Brain Council to estimate the costs incurred because of brain disorders. Summarizing the data on 1-year prevalence, the proportion of adults in Europe reporting headache was 51%, migraine 14%, and 'chronic headache' (i.e. > or =15 days/month or 'daily') 4%. Generally, migraine, and to a lesser degree headache, are most prevalent during the most productive years of adulthood, from age 20 to 50 years. Several European studies document the negative influence of headache disorders on the quality of life, and health-economic studies indicate that 15% of adults were absent from work during the last year because of headache. Very few studies have been performed in Eastern Europe, and there are also surprisingly little data on tension-type headache from any country. Although the methodology and the quality of the published studies vary considerably, making direct comparisons between different countries difficult, the present review clearly demonstrates that headache disorders are extremely prevalent and have a vast impact on public health. The data collected should be used as arguments to increase resources to headache research and care for headache patients all over the continent.

Adolescent↗

The prevalence of premonitory symptoms in migraine: a questionnaire study in 461 patients.

Migraine attacks are often preceded by premonitory symptoms. Prevalence rates of migraine patients reporting one or more premonitory symptoms show considerable variability and rates range between 12% and 79%. Sources of variability might be differences in study population or research design. Using a questionnaire, we retrospectively studied the prevalence of 12 predefined premonitory symptoms in a clinic-based population. Of 461 migraine patients, 374 (81%) responded. At least one premonitory symptom was reported by 86.9% and 71.1% reported two or more. The most frequently reported premonitory symptoms were fatigue (46.5%), phonophobia (36.4%) and yawning (35.8%). The mean number of premonitory symptoms per person was 3.2 (+/- 2.5). Women reported 3.3 premonitory symptoms compared with 2.5 symptoms in men (P = 0.01). Age, education, migraine subtype (with or without aura) and mean attack frequency had no effect on the mean number of symptoms per individual. In conclusion, premonitory symptoms are frequently reported by migraine patients. Sensitivity and specificity of premonitory symptoms for migraine need to be assessed using prospective methods.

Adult↗

Cardiovascular risk factors and migraine: the GEM population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Migraine, particularly with aura, is a risk factor for early-onset ischemic stroke. The underlying mechanisms are unknown, but may in part be due to migraineurs having an increased risk profile for cardiovascular disease. In this study, the authors compare the cardiovascular risk profile of adult migraineurs to that of nonmigraineurs. METHODS: Participants (n = 5,755, 48% men, age 20 to 65 years) are from the Genetic Epidemiology of Migraine (GEM) study, a population-based study in the Netherlands. A total of 620 current migraineurs were identified: 31% with aura (MA), 64% without aura (MO), and 5% unclassified. Controls were 5,135 individuals without lifetime migraine. Measured cardiovascular risk factors included blood pressure (BP), serum total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TC, HDL), smoking, oral contraceptive use, and the Framingham risk score for myocardial infarction or coronary heart disease (CHD) death. RESULTS: Compared to controls, migraineurs were more likely to smoke (OR = 1.43 [1.1 to 1.8]), less likely to consume alcohol (OR = 0.58 [0.5 to 0.7]), and more likely to report a parental history of early myocardial infarction. Migraineurs with aura were more likely to have an unfavorable cholesterol profile (TC > or = 240 mg/dL [OR = 1.43 (0.97 to 2.1)], TC:HDL ratio > 5.0 [OR = 1.64 (1.1 to 2.4)]), have elevated BP (systolic BP > 140 mm Hg or diastolic BP > 90 mm Hg [OR = 1.76 (1.04 to 3.0)]), and report a history of early onset CHD or stroke (OR = 3.96 [1.1 to 14.3]); female migraineurs with aura were more likely to be using oral contraceptives (OR = 2.06 [1.05 to 4.0]). The odds of having an elevated Framingham risk score for CHD were approximately doubled for the migraineurs with aura. CONCLUSIONS: Migraineurs, particularly with aura, have a higher cardiovascular risk profile than individuals without migraine.

Adult↗

MRI findings in migraine.

INTRODUCTION: For long time, migraine has been considered to be an episodic, multifactorial, neurovascular disorder, without long-term consequences to the brain, although an association between migraine and clinical stroke and white matter hyperintense lesions has been suggested in numerous studies. Due to various methodological problems no definite conclusion could be drawn from these studies. STATE OF THE ART: Recently, data from a population-based cross-sectional MRI study were published, establishing migraine to be a true and independent risk factor for white matter lesions (in female migraine patients) and subclinical posterior circulation territory infarcts. PERSPECTIVES: The methodology and results of previous investigations of a relationship between migraine and clinical ischemic stroke, silent infarction and white matter lesions are reviewed, and integrated in the results from the new population-based MRI study. CONCLUSION: Brain infarction occurs far more frequently than expected in migraine patients, most pronounced in migraine with aura (8 percent have subclinical cerebellar infarcts), although most infarcts remain clinically silent. Female migraine patients are at increased risk of deep white matter lesions, independent of the effects of cardiovascular risk factors. The influence of migraine severity (attack frequency) on the risk of both types of lesions suggests a causal relationship between migraine severity and lesion load. Future studies are needed to assess whether these (probably) ischemic lesions have relevant (long-term) functional correlates.

Brain↗

The 3p21.1-p21.3 hereditary vascular retinopathy locus increases the risk for Raynaud's phenomenon and migraine.

Previously, we described a large Dutch family with hereditary vascular retinopathy (HVR), Raynaud's phenomenon and migraine. A locus for HVR was mapped on chromosome 3p21.1-p21.3, but the gene has not yet been identified. The fact that all three disorders share a vascular aetiology prompted us to study whether the HVR haplotype also contributed to Raynaud's phenomenon and migraine in this family. Whereas the parent-child transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) did not reach significance, the sibling TDT revealed that the HVR haplotype harbours a susceptibility factor for Raynaud's phenomenon and migraine. Identification of the HVR gene will improve the understanding of the pathophysiology of HVR, Raynaud's phenomenon and migraine.

Adolescent↗

Single-fiber EMG in familial hemiplegic migraine.

Twelve familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) patients (6 with the I1811L mutation in CACNA1A, 3 with M731T mutation in ATP1A2, and 3 without known mutations) and 10 control subjects underwent single-fiber EMG. Mean jitter did not differ significantly between patients and control subjects or among patients. No blocking was found. The results suggest that neuromuscular function is normal in FHM.

Adolescent↗

Expanding the phenotypic spectrum of the CACNA1A gene T666M mutation: a description of 5 families with familial hemiplegic migraine.

BACKGROUND: Familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) is a rare autosomal dominant subtype of migraine with aura. Missense mutations in the chromosome 19 CACNA1A calcium channel gene have been found in approximately half of the families. The T666M mutation, replacing a threonine by a methionine at residue number 666, is the most frequent mutation, reported in 14 independent FHM families; other mutations have so far been described in only 1 or 2 families each. The clinical features of T666M families have been reported, but the course is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To present a detailed description of the clinical features of new FHM families in which we identified the T666M mutation in our CACNA1A screening program. METHODS: As part of our ongoing genetic screening, mutation analysis of the CACNA1A gene was performed by single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis in 33 probands of families with FHM. RESULTS: We identified the T666M mutation in 5 unrelated FHM families. In 3 of the families, patients displayed cerebellar ataxia. In 1 family, some affected members with the mutation had attacks with confusion but without hemiparesis. In 1 family, patients had progressive cognitive dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: The T666M mutation is the most frequent CACNA1A mutation in FHM; it was found in 5 of 33 FHM families at our laboratory, and in 19 of 39 families with a known mutation reported in the literature (including the present study). Screening for the T666M mutation should therefore be the first step when screening families with FHM. There is a remarkable clinical heterogeneity among families with the T666M mutation.

Adult↗

Episodic ataxia type 2. Three novel truncating mutations and one novel missense mutation in the CACNA1A gene.

We analysed the CACNA1A gene, located on chromosome 19p13, in three unrelated families and one sporadic case with episodic ataxia type 2 (EA-2). In two of the families and the sporadic patient, novel truncating mutations, which disrupt the reading frame and result in a premature stop of the CACNA1A protein, were identified in exons 14, 16 and 26. In the remaining family, a novel missense mutation (H253Y) was found. Of the twenty two EA-2 mutations identified thus far, including those of the present study, seventeen are truncating mutations and five are missense mutations, all resulting in an EA-2 clinical phenotype.

Adult↗

Hereditary vascular retinopathy, cerebroretinal vasculopathy, and hereditary endotheliopathy with retinopathy, nephropathy, and stroke map to a single locus on chromosome 3p21.1-p21.3.

We performed a genomewide search for linkage in an extended Dutch family with hereditary vascular retinopathy associated with migraine and Raynaud phenomenon. Patients with vascular retinopathy are characterized by microangiopathy of the retina, accompanied by microaneurysms and telangiectatic capillaries. The genome search, using a high throughput capillary sequencer, revealed significant evidence of linkage to chromosome 3p21.1-p21.3 (maximum pairwise LOD score 5.25, with D3S1578). Testing of two additional families that had a similar phenotype, cerebroretinal vasculopathy, and hereditary endotheliopathy with retinopathy, nephropathy, and stroke, revealed linkage to the same chromosomal region (combined maximum LOD score 6.30, with D3S1588). Haplotype analysis of all three families defined a 3-cM candidate region between D3S1578 and D3S3564. Our study shows that three autosomal dominant vasculopathy syndromes with prominent cerebroretinal manifestations map to the same 3-cM interval on 3p21, suggesting a common locus.

Chromosome Mapping↗

Involvement of the CACNA1A gene containing region on 19p13 in migraine with and without aura.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the involvement of the 19p13 familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) locus in migraine with and without aura. BACKGROUND: Migraine with and without aura are likely to be polygenetic multifactorial disorders. FHM is a rare dominantly inherited type of migraine with aura. In about 50% of families, FHM is caused by mutations in the P/Q-type calcium channel alpha(1A)-subunit (CACNA1A) gene on chromosome 19p13. The CACNA1A gene is thus a good candidate gene for "nonhemiplegic" migraine with or without aura. METHODS: The authors performed an affected sibpair analysis using flanking and CACNA1A intragenic markers. The authors assessed the occurrence of shared parental marker alleles among 189 affected siblings from 36 extended families with typical migraine with or without aura. RESULTS: Sibling pairs with any form of migraine had inherited the same 19p13 CACNA1A-containing region significantly more frequently than expected by chance (maximum multipoint lod score = 1.22). This result was almost exclusively dependent on the increased sharing found in sibling pairs with migraine with aura (maximum multipoint lod score = 1.41). The locus-specific relative risk for a sibling (lambda(s)) to suffer from migraine with aura, defined as the increase in risk of the trait attributable to the 19p13 locus, was lambda(s) = 1.56. When combining migraine with and without aura, lambda(s) was 1.22. CONCLUSIONS: The increased allele sharing in the CACNA1A gene region on 19p13 is consistent with an important involvement of this region in migraine, especially migraine with aura.

Alleles↗

Delayed cerebral edema and fatal coma after minor head trauma: role of the CACNA1A calcium channel subunit gene and relationship with familial hemiplegic migraine.

Trivial head trauma may be complicated by severe, sometimes even fatal, cerebral edema and coma occurring after a lucid interval ("delayed cerebral edema"). Attacks of familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) can be triggered by minor head trauma and are sometimes accompanied by coma. Mutations in the CACNA1A calcium channel subunit gene on chromosome 19 are associated with a wide spectrum of mutation-specific episodic and chronic neurological disorders, including FHM with or without coma. We investigated the role of the CACNA1A gene in three subjects with delayed cerebral edema. Two subjects originated from a family with extreme FHM, and one subject was the previously asymptomatic daughter of a sporadic patient with hemiplegic migraine attacks. In all three subjects with delayed severe edema, we found a C-to-T substitution resulting in the substitution of serine for lysine at codon 218 (S218L) in the CACNA1A gene. The mutation was absent in nonaffected family members and 152 control individuals. Haplotype analysis excluded a common founder for both families. Neuropathological examination in one subject showed Purkinje cell loss with relative preservation of granule cells and sparing of the dentate and inferior olivary nuclei. We conclude that the novel S218L mutation in the CACNA1A calcium channel subunit gene is involved in FHM and delayed fatal cerebral edema and coma after minor head trauma. This finding may have important implications for the understanding and treatment of this dramatic syndrome.

Adolescent↗

No involvement of the calcium channel gene (CACNA1A) in a family with cluster headache.

It is very likely that genetic factors play a role in the pathophysiology of cluster headache (CH). As CH shares its paroxysmal character with migraine, and migraine has been described in coexistence with CH in some families, we hypothesized that both diseases might share a genetic aetiology. In this study, we tested whether the migraine CACNA1A gene on chromosome 19 is involved in CH in an extended pedigree. Haplotype analysis did not reveal an obvious disease haplotype, and SSCP analysis of all 47 exons of the CACNA1A gene did not reveal a causative mutation. CH in this family is not caused by mutations in the CACNA1A gene.

Calcium Channels↗

The impact of migraine on quality of life in the general population: the GEM study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in migraineurs in the general population. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study within the context of a population-based study monitoring health characteristics of the Dutch adult population in two municipalities representative of the general population in the Netherlands. Migraine was assessed in a multistaged procedure that included a semistructured clinical interview by telephone. Final diagnosis met 1988 International Headache Society criteria. HRQOL was measured with the self-administered RAND 36-item Health Survey (RAND-36), including physical functioning, social functioning, role limitations, and physical perception. HRQOL of migraineurs was compared with that of nonmigraineurs. To compare and study the effect of comorbidity, the authors also identified subjects with asthma or chronic musculoskeletal pain. There were 5998 people with complete data, 620 of whom had migraine in the last year. RESULTS: Compared with nonmigraineurs, significantly more migraineurs had asthma (OR = 1.6; 95% CI 1.1, 2.4) or chronic musculoskeletal pain (OR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.5, 2.1). Migraineurs reported diminished functioning and well-being on all eight domains as compared with nonmigraineurs. HRQOL was inversely related to attack frequency (p < 0.0002). Migraineurs had a poorer HRQOL than did those reporting asthma, except for dimensions concerning physical functioning and general health perception, but they had a better HRQOL than did subjects with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Comorbidity of asthma or chronic musculoskeletal pain in migraine further reduced HRQOL. CONCLUSIONS: Migraineurs report more asthma and chronic musculoskeletal pain. Compared with nonmigraineurs and to others with chronic conditions, migraineurs report compromised physical, mental, and social functioning, particularly those with a high frequency of attack.

Adult↗

Alternating hemiplegia of childhood: no mutations in the familial hemiplegic migraine CACNA1A gene.

INTRODUCTION: Alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC) is a rare disorder mainly characterized by attacks of hemiplegia and mental retardation. It has been often associated with migraine. The CACNA1A gene on chromosome 19 is involved in familial hemiplegic migraine and other episodic cerebral disorders, but also with progressive neuronal damage. METHODS: We performed mutation analysis in this gene in four AHC patients, using single strand conformation polymorphism analysis. RESULTS: We found nine polymorphisms, but no mutations in any of the 47 exons. CONCLUSIONS: Other cerebral ion channel genes remain candidate genes for AHC.

Adult↗

The prevalence and characteristics of migraine in a population-based cohort: the GEM study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the distribution of migraine and its subtypes in the general population. BACKGROUND: Previous population-based studies are limited by small samples or a narrow age range, do not provide prevalence estimates of migraine with and without aura, or underestimate prevalence by not accounting for patients missed as a result of using imperfect screening instruments. METHODS: The participants in the Genetic Epidemiology of Migraine Study were comprised of 6,491 adults, age 20 to 65 years, selected randomly from two county population registries in the Netherlands to participate in a general health survey (52.7% response). Migraineurs were identified as follows: All participants were screened on headache history. Those meeting screen-positive criteria were given a detailed questionnaire on headache. A total of 1,292 randomly selected screen-positives (83% of screen-positives) and 197 randomly selected screen-negatives (5% of screen-negatives) were administered a semistructured clinical interview by telephone. Final diagnosis met 1988 International Headache Society criteria. Prevalence of migraine was estimated for sex and 5-year age strata. RESULTS: The lifetime prevalence of migraine in women was 33% and the 1-year prevalence of migraine in women was 25%. In men, the lifetime prevalence was 13.3% and the 1-year prevalence was 7.5%. Among patients with migraine in the past year, 63.9% had migraine without aura, 17.9% had migraine with aura, and 13.1% had migraine both with and without aura. The prevalence of migraine was significantly higher in women and not associated with socioeconomic status. Migraineurs suffered a median of 12 migraine attacks per year; 25% had at least two attacks per month. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of migraine is higher then previously reported. The coexistence of migraine with and without aura occurs frequently and has implications for future studies on the genetics of migraine.

Adult↗

Search for mitochondrial DNA mutations in migraine subgroups.

It has been suggested that mitochondrial mutations cause migraine(-like) symptoms. The presence of mtDNA mutations (3243, 3271, 11084, and deletions) was investigated in three migraine subgroups (maternally transmitted migraine with and without aura, migrainous infarction, and nonfamilial hemiplegic migraine). No mutations were found. These mutations and deletions probably are not involved in the migraine subgroups studied, although an investigation of other material (e.g., muscle tissue) would have shown this with more certainty.

Adolescent↗