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Biomedical subjects

H Isler

Publications and source records attributed to H Isler.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Headache as an occupational illness in the treatise "De morbis artificum diatriba" of Bernardino Ramazzini.

The treatise "De morbis artificum diatriba" (Modena, 1700) is considered to be the first text to specifically deal with occupational illnesses. It was also the last for over 150 years. Written by Bernardino Ramazzini (Carpi, 1633-Padua, 1714), a professor at the University of Padua from 1700 to 1714, the book highlights the importance given at the time to headache as an occupational symptom. Among the 69 professions described, accounting for the majority of the occupations of the period, 12 were found to lead to headache as an important symptom caused by work. Ramazzini appears to have paid more attention to this than we do today. Ramazzini's work opens up a wide view on social conditions in the 18th century, as his sensitivity for occupational hazards was exceptional. His remarks on headache are typical of his way of collecting first-hand experience of working conditions, and they underline the importance of occupational hazards in the assessment of headache, today just as in 1710.

Environmental Exposure↗
PubMed1996

Cyclandelate in the prophylaxis of migraine: a randomized, parallel, double-blind study in comparison with placebo and propranolol. The Study group.

Cyclandelate inhibits calcium-induced contraction of vascular smooth muscle cells, platelet aggregation induced by thrombin, platelet-activating-factor and adenosine, and also suppresses a provoked 5HT release from platelets. This pharmacological profile suggests that cyclandelate may have a potential prophylactic effect in migraine. To test this hypothesis, a double-blind multicentre study was performed in 214 patients to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of cyclandelate compared to placebo and propranolol. After a 4-week baseline period, eligible patients (randomization 3:2:3) were treated for 12 weeks with daily doses of 1.200 mg cyclandelate (n = 81), placebo (n = 55) or 120 mg propranolol (n = 78). The number of migraine attacks (> or = 50% responders) and the migraine duration/month were compared based on the difference between baseline and the last 4 weeks of prophylactic treatment. The percentage of patients with a reduction in migraine attacks of > or = 50% treated with cyclandelate (37.0%) or propranolol (42.3%) was not significantly superior to placebo (30.9%; p > 0.025). The mean duration of migraine in hours (h) per month decreased in both active treatment groups (cyclandelate: 36.8 h, p = 0.046; propranolol: 34.4 h, p = 0.039) compared to placebo (13.7 h) without reaching statistical significance (alpha/2 = 0.025). The clinical efficacy of cyclandelate and propranolol was comparable. Adverse experiences were reported by 13 patients (16.0%) treated with cyclandelate, by 5 patients (9.1%) treated with placebo and by 19 patients (24.4%) treated with propranolol. These were drug-related in 7.1% (n = 6) of patients treated with cyclandelate and in 9% (n = 7) of patients treated with propranolol. In summary, cyclandelate has a comparable efficacy to that of propranolol, an established drug of first choice in the prophylaxis of migraine. Both drugs were better than placebo, but not significantly so. Both active treatments were well tolerated.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

A sixth-century Irish headache cure and its use in a south German monastery.

Medieval headache treatment is largely unknown. Medieval incantations against headache enumerate bodily organs to be protected. One 8th-century Latin hymn from Lake Constance using this device is addressed to St. Aid "mechprech", who has been identified as Aed Mac Bricc, Bishop of Killare, 6th century. This Irish Saint inspired unusual legends by some rather unorthodox activities: He abducted a young girl as hostage while his inheritance was withheld, but at the same time was seen surrounded by angels. He prayed for a nun who was pregnant and made the pregnancy vanish by a miracle, and he replaced the severed heads of maids, men and horses, creating a new spring as a by-product of this operation. Already at his birth his head had hit a stone, leaving a hole in the stone which collected rainwater that cured all ailments. In our own time, such "bullaun stones" are still believed to cure headache in Ireland. According to the legends collected by Plummer and Colgan, St. Aed Mac Bricc was well known for his power to cure headaches. He relieved St. Brigid's headache when she was suffering many miles away, but his most impressive cure was in convincing a headache sufferer that the patient's headache could actually be transferred own head. The headache hymn or incantation is intended to repeat Aed's unique miracle.

Catholicism↗
PubMed1995

[Neuropsychiatry and neuropsychology].

The 17th centuryś origins of neuropsychiatry are found in the works of Thomas Willis, who introduced the terms 'psychologia' and 'neurologia' and developed a complete neuropsychiatric concept. His views were revived by 18th-century animists and vitalists who were able to accept body-mind interactions, unlike the followers of Leibniz (e.g. Haller) who stuck to his psychophysical parallelism without possible interaction. This was also the creed of John Hughlings Jackson, whose influence on the development of neuropsychiatry and neuropsychology in the first decades of the 20th century was second to none. Neuropsychiatry, a Germanic specialty, was able to germinate in 1845 in Griesinger's 'Pathology and therapy of mental diseases', after Gall, Mesmer, Johannes Müller and many others had reformed and expanded the concept of mind-body interaction. In the second half of the 19th century, in the German-speaking countries progress in both neurology and psychiatry was usually achieved by neuro-psychiatrists. Neuropsychology (Lashley, 1913) was a product of both Jacksonian and Germanic neuropsychiatric ideas. During the 20th century neurology was separated from psychiatry, but new trends and their names such as 'psychobiology' and 'biological psychiatry', although quite old, are suggestive of a new kind of neuropsychiatry.

Europe↗
PubMed1995

Headache classification and the Bible: Was St Paul's thorn in the flesh migraine?

The conversion of Saul to Paul was a major event in the history of Western culture. Compared with its impact, any medical comments may seem redundant, but they have kept their place in the literature for many centuries. The flashing light that caused Saul to fall is often explained as solar retinopathy or keratitis, a seizure, or even a hysterical fit. These interpretations propose either a trivial injury or disease that would interfere with mental health. Neither version is quite compatible with the dramatic dimension of the event and with Paul's later achievements and sufferings. In later years, Paul became a great manager, preacher and writer who was able to carry on under any kind of duress, though not without very painful reactions. He was suffering from bouts of unilateral headache, and also from a chronic eye condition which gave great trouble to his followers but did not cause lasting damage; the descriptions fulfil the criteria for migraine without aura of the 1988 Headache Classification. If the flashing light that caused Paul to fall down is interpreted as a visual migraine aura, with the additional symptoms of "not seeing" or photophobia and anorexia, it falls into place with his later history of migraine.

Bible↗
PubMed1994

The Zurich Study: XXIII. Epidemiology of headache syndromes in the Zurich cohort study of young adults.

This study examines the 1 year prevalence rates of headache syndromes in an epidemiologic cohort study of young adults ages 29-30 in Zurich, Switzerland. The 1 year prevalence rates of headache subtypes were 3.3% for migraine with aura and 21.3% of migraine without aura as defined by the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria. The demographic distribution, clinical features, sequelae, and treatment patterns of subjects with specific headache subtypes are described. The rates of migraine are compared to those of other community samples that have employed the IHS criteria for headache subtypes. Subjects with migraine reported pervasive impairment in nearly every life role including occupation, leisure, and social relationships. Despite the substantial degree of impairment in occupational and social functioning that was associated with migraine, an extremely low proportion of subjects had received professional treatment for headache. These results suggest that a concerted effort should be directed towards education regarding the classification of headache and the availability of efficacious treatment for migraine.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1994

Efficacy and tolerability of amitriptylinoxide in the treatment of chronic tension-type headache: a multi-centre controlled study.

Amitriptyline is the medication of first choice in the treatment of chronic tension-type headache. In 197 patients with chronic tension-type headache (87M and 110F with a mean age of 38 +/- 13 (18-68)) efficacy and tolerability of 60-90 mg amitriptylinoxide (AO) were compared with 50-75 mg amitriptyline (AM) and placebo (PL) in a double-blind, parallel-group trial consisting of a four weeks' baseline phase and 12 weeks of treatment. The primary study endpoint was a reduction of at least 50% of the product of headache duration and frequency and a reduction of at least 50% in headache intensity. Statistics used were Fisher's exact test and analysis of variance. No significant difference emerged between AO, AM and PL with respect to the primary study endpoint. Treatment response occurred in 30.3% of the AO, 22.4% of the AM and 21.9% of the PL group. A reduction in headache duration and frequency of at least 50% was found in 39.4% on AO, in 25.4% on AM and in 26.6% on PL (PAO-PL = .1384, PAM-PL = 1.000, PAO-AM = .0973). A reduction in headache intensity of at least 50% was found in 31.8% on AO, in 26.9% on AM and in 26.6% on PL (PAO-PL = .5657, PAM-PL = 1.000, PAO-AM = .5715). Trend analysis with respect to a significant reduction of headache intensity (p < 0.05) and the product of headache duration and frequency revealed a superior effect of AO.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Episodic cluster headache from a textbook of 1745: van Swieten's classic description.

The first description of cluster headache is usually attributed to authors who published between 1867 and 1939, but lately several researchers have found accounts dating back to the 18th or even the 17th century which are incomplete or do not account for cluster headache in the strict sense. However, Gerhard van Swieten gave a full description of a case of episodic cluster headache meeting the IHS criteria in 1745, in his textbook of clinical medicine, the mainstream textbook of Continental medicine in those years, since van Swieten was the founder of the then leading medical centre, the Vienna School. That the case was found again only in 1992 is due to the circumstance that it was published in Latin. It is presented here in an English translation facing the original Latin text.

Cluster Headache↗
PubMed1993

Evaluation of the nosology of chronic tension-type headache.

Tension-type headache is one of the problematic classes of the IHS classification of headache. Based on the data of 211 cases of chronic tension-type headache modified criteria are proposed for the diagnosis of chronic tension-type headache. In order to provide optimal discrimination between migraine and tension-type headache it is recommended that the severity of characteristic migraine symptoms, which also frequently occur at a mild level of intensity among patients with tension-type headache, be incorporated into the diagnostic criteria for this headache. Specifically, mild photophobia and phonophobia, and headache aggravation by physical activity should not be used as exclusion criteria for tension-type headache.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

[Effectiveness and tolerance of amitriptyline oxide in chronic tension headache--a multicenter double-blind study versus amitriptyline versus placebo].

Tricyclic antidepressants, especially amitriptyline, are the medication of first choice in the treatment of chronic tension headache. Few previous studies meet modern standards of study design and statistical analysis. Tolerability and efficacy of 60-90 mg amitriptyline oxide (AO) as a single dose in the evening were compared with 50-75 mg amitriptyline (AM) and placebo (PL) in a double-blind, parallel-group trial consisting of a 4-week baseline phase and 12 weeks of treatment. The 3-armed study was conducted in 7 centers. The inclusion criterion was tension-type headache on at least 15 days monthly with a duration of at least 6 months. Exclusion criteria were a migraine history, previous participation in another clinical trial within the last 3 months, drug abuse, medication with other antidepressants or tranquilizers, current use of other acknowledged prophylactic headache medication, lack of compliance, major psychiatric disorder according to DSM-III and medical contra-indications against tricyclic antidepressants. The primary study endpoint was a reduction at least 50% of the product of headache duration and frequency and a reduction at least 50% in headache intensity. Statistics used were Fisher's Exact Test and an analysis of variance. A total of 211 patients were included in this trial. One hundred ninety-seven cases, 87 males and 110 females, with a mean age of 38 +/- 13 (18-68) years, could be analysed completely (66 AO, 67 AM, 64 PL). With regard to the strictly defined primary study endpoint, no significant difference emerged between AO, AM and PL: treatment responders were 30.3% with AO, 22.4% with AM and 21.9% with PL (PAO-PL = 0.3210, PAM-PL = 1.000, PAO-AM = 0.3299 respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

[Romantic origins of electrophysiology].

Research on static electricity and its effects on the human body date back to the invention of the electrizing or Wimshurst machine and the Leyden jar of 1743 and 1746. Such experiments often served as social pastimes, but they yielded many publications on medical aspects of static electricity. Attempts to explain the 'life force' of the vitalists and the old concept of the active principle of the nervous system, the 'spiritus animales', as electrical phenomena were unsuccessful because of the skeptic comments of leading experimental scientists such as Albrecht von Haller. When Mesmer reinvented 'animal magnetism' in 1776 as a fashionable term for treatment by suggestion, he appropriated theoretical, technical and social methods from the established ways of the experiments on static electricity. Therefore, the scientific character of Luigi Galvani's investigations was already compromised by his term 'animal electricity' when he published his famous 'Commentarius' in 1781. Volta in Pavia turned against Galvani, proving that galvanic currents are produced by metals alone, and rejecting 'animal electricity'. Volta's doctrine prevailed over Galvani's school after Volta's breakthrough with his pile, or battery, until Galvani's ideas were rehabilitated by Nobili, who in 1828 measured the 'frog current' with his galvanometer. This led to a flurry of bizarre experiments on rows of half-dismembered animals and severed parts of human cadavers. Johannes Müller in Berlin, who, with his students, established new principles of biology and neurology, asked Du Bois-Reymond to study these experiments. Du Bois-Reymond found that measurements of muscle currents in intact animals were more useful, and he compared them with his own observations on electric fishes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Electricity↗
PubMed1991

Topical treatment of standardized burns with a protein-free haemodialysate.

The utility of the protein-free haemodialysate Solcoseryl (HD) in the treatment of chronic skin ulcers and minor burns is well documented (Haigis et al., 1985). In this study the effects of HD ointment and HD gel on the healing of standardized deep partial thickness burns were investigated in rats. Treatment with HD-containing topical agents significantly reduced healing time (P less than or equal to 0.01) in comparison with non-treated controls; HD ointment and HD gel reduced relative healing rates by 20 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. Macroscopic and histological findings indicate that the effects of HD start in the early phase of the healing process (inflammatory/exudative), and that the entire healing process is improved.

Actihaemyl↗
PubMed1991

Morphometric assessment of wound healing in rats treated with a protein-free haemodialysate.

Morphological changes during soft-tissue repair are prime indicators of the processes involved in wound healing. A method has been developed to quantify such changes and applied for assessing the healing of partial thickness dermatome wounds treated either with Solcoseryl jelly or the matching vehicle. After 4 days of treatment, the active-treated wounds had already reached the reparative phase, whereas the vehicle-treated wounds were still in the proliferative phase. Furthermore, wound re-epithelialization was significantly improved under active treatment (P less than 0.005).

Actihaemyl↗
PubMed1991

Flunarizine in migraine attack.

The usual drugs for migraine attacks carry risks of increased frequency, resistance to other treatment, drug dependency, and abuse. Ergotamines may also be vascular risk factors. Alternative drugs without these risks would be useful. Flunarizine could be an alternative. Migraine cannot be reduced to molecular pathophysiology; it is a disorder of higher brain functions. Flunarizine exhibits the profile of a psychotropic drug that fits in with this situation. In double-blind placebo-controlled studies, it was shown that 20 mg flunarizine i.v. was superior to placebo in suppressing migraine attacks and was well tolerated. These results should be further investigated, especially concerning reduction of rebound attacks.

Flunarizine↗
PubMed1990

Migraine and psychopathology. Results of the Zurich cohort study of young adults.

We present data regarding the association of psychiatric syndromes and migraine headache from a prospective epidemiologic cohort study of 27- and 28-year-olds in Zurich, Switzerland. The prevalence of migraine of 13.3% approximates estimates from previous epidemiologic studies in other regions of the world. Consistent with previous reports, there was a strong association between migraine and depression. However, this is the first study to demonstrate this association in an unselected epidemiologic sample with standardized assessment of psychiatric diagnoses by direct interview. The association between migraine and the anxiety disorders was even stronger than that for the affective disorders. The combination of anxiety disorder and major depression, but not pure anxiety disorders, nor pure depression, were significantly associated with migraine. Our data suggest that migraine with anxiety and depression may constitute a distinct syndrome comprising anxiety, often manifested in early childhood, followed by the occurrence of migraine headaches, and then by discrete episodes of depressive disorder in adulthood. Because of the prospective longitudinal design of this study, future assessments of this cohort will provide further information on the stability of these findings and the course of this cohort as subjects proceed through adulthood.

Adolescent↗