PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

P Schnider

Publications and source records attributed to P Schnider.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

[Sumatriptan--side effects and problems in routine clinical practice].

AIM: The study tried to investigate the efficacy, adverse events and possible risk factors of sumatriptan in daily clinical practice. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 72 outdoor patients, who had treated their headaches at least once with sumatriptan, partly prescribed to them by outdoor physicians, were asked about their experiences with the drug. According to the criteria of the International Headache Society (1988) 55 patients were suffering from migraine, 11 from cluster headache and 6 from tension-type headache. RESULTS: Migraine and cluster patients rated the drug as effective as described in literature. Adverse events were reported by 69% of the patients which was more frequent than in most clinic studies described. Adverse events were usually not serious and transient. They were reported significantly more often by migraine patients than by patients with cluster headache and might not all be correlated to the therapy of sumatriptan. CONCLUSION: Sumatriptan has shown to be effective in the treatment of an acute migraine- and cluster-headache. The risk as to severe adverse events, especially cardial adverse events, exists if contraindications for sumatriptan are not considered. Sumatriptan should therefore only be prescribed to carefully diagnosed migraine and cluster headache patients. It should, however, not be given to patients suffering from drug abuse, because they might just change over to sumatriptan.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

MMPI and critical flicker frequency (CFF) analysis in headache patients with and without drug abuse.

Sixty-three headache patients (migraine: n = 28; tension-type headache: n = 35) who fulfilled the IHS criteria of 'drug abuse' were investigated by means of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the Critical Flicker Frequency (CFF) analysis. The results were compared to those of 63 headache patients without drug abuse (matched-pair case-control study). With respect to the MMPI results, no statistically significant differences between patients with drug abuse and patients without drug abuse were found. However, patients with drug abuse showed significantly decreased CFF values compared to patients without drug abuse. This was true both for patients with migraine and for patients with tension-type headache. Thus, CFF analysis may serve as a useful method to differentiate between headache patients with drug abuse and those without drug abuse.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Improvement of decreased critical flicker frequency (CFF) in headache patients with drug abuse after successful withdrawal.

A considerable proportion of headache patients fulfill the criteria of "drug abuse" (definition according to the International Headache Society [IHS] criteria). These patients exhibit markedly reduced vigilance and continuous performance, as shown by the results of critical flicker frequency (CFF) analysis. The present study deals with the question whether this impairment of vigilance and continuous performance is reversible. Forty-eight headache patients with drug abuse were investigated three times by means of CFF analysis: immediately before (A), immediately after (B), and 3 weeks after having finished (C) inpatient drug withdrawal. Immediately after withdrawal, a significant decrease of headache intensity was observed. The CFF values, however, remained unchanged at a depressed level, probably due to withdrawal medication and the initial sedative side effects of thymoleptic agents (given as prophylaxis). Three weeks after withdrawal, however, the CFF values were significantly improved, and were now within a range not far from the normal values known from a healthy general population. Thus, even after many years of drug abuse, headache patients have a good chance to improve their vigilance and continuous performance and to reach normal or close to normal levels.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Cocaine abuse--with special reference to cerebrovascular complications].

The role of drug abuse as a risk factor for cerebrovascular events has been underestimated, particularly in patients with juvenile stroke. The drug most often associated with acute cerebrovascular events is cocaine. After cocaine hydrochloride abuse intracerebral hemorrhages or subarachnoid hemorrhages--predominantly caused by ruptured aneurysms or arteriovenous malformations--are by far the most frequently observed cerebrovascular complications, whereas on abuse with the alkaloidal form ("crack") intracranial hemorrhages and ischemic strokes are encountered with equal frequency. In most cases, the time interval between drug abuse and the cerebrovascular event is less than 3 hours. Several pathophysiological mechanisms are discussed as serving as triggers for the cerebrovascular event, either alone or in combination. No specific antidote to cocaine is known. Nevertheless drug screening (urine analysis) should be performed immediately to allow optimal management of patients with drug-associated acute cerebrovascular events, especially in cases with juvenile stroke.

Cerebrovascular Disorders↗
PubMed1995

[Parkinson disease and neurologic rehabilitation].

Modern rehabilitation is becoming more and more "social integration" instead of "going back to work". Therefore rehabilitation is also a matter in chronic disease and in old people. Parkinson patients are somewhat disabled in nearly every aspect of their life, although the extent is related to the stage of the disease. Moreover, symptoms do not respond equally to drug treatment, balance (with succeeding falls) and swallowing being special problems for anti-parkinsonian drug treatment, but also vegetative symptoms, dysarthria, motor skills etc. Apart from medication patients get relief also from adjuvant therapy like physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, which all can lead to improvement of quality of life. Rehabilitation needs team effort. Patient and family supporting groups (like Parkinson Disease Society and others) are an important factor for all needs of neurological rehabilitation.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1995

[Increased residual urine volume after local injection of botulinum A toxin].

After major head trauma, a 28-year-old male patient developed tetraparesis with marked left-sided contractions of the leg adductors. Spasticity was resistant to antispastic drugs and intensive physiotherapy. Therefore, we injected 12.5 ng botulinum A toxin (Dysport) in the left adductor longus and adductor magnus. Eight measurements of the post-micturition residual urine of the bladder before botulinum-A-toxin administration gave no evidence for urinary retention. Between day 5 and 14 after injection we measured pathologically increased urinary volumes up to 130 ml at five different points of time. This case report indicates possible subclinical side effects on the autonomic nervous system of the urinary bladder.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Use and abuse of analgesics in tension-type headache.

Eighty patients suffering from tension-type headache for an average of 21 years were asked to report on all drugs they had ever taken (type, dosage, duration of intake, efficacy) or were taking currently. The patients had consumed on average 6.3 different drugs. The cumulative doses of derivatives of para-aminophenol, pyrazolone, and salicylic acid in some cases reached a maximum of several kilograms. Most drugs were classified by the patients as "moderately effective". The rating "very effective" was assigned primarily to barbiturates; however, barbiturates are no longer used as components of compound analgesic drugs in Austria. At the time of investigation, patients consumed 2.5 (mean) different drugs, primarily as compound preparations. Seventeen patients (21%) showed signs of possible analgesics- or ergotamine-induced headache and were therefore advised to undergo withdrawal therapy. Our results show that patients with tension-type headache are at considerable risk of becoming drug-dependent and of acquiring analgesics-induced headache.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Polypragmasy in chronic tension headache?].

The various forms of treatment (drugs as well as non-drug therapy) of patients suffering from tension type headache are presented. Analgesics and non-steroidal antirheumatics are used in the management of episodic tension type headache, as well as acute exacerbation of chronic tension type headache. In view of the presumably multifactorial pathogenesis, a multidimensional therapeutic approach is required in patients with chronic tension type headache. Antidepressive drugs (thymoleptics) are usually prescribed as basic therapy. Additional implementation of non-drug therapeutic measures tailored to individual symptomatology is advisable, such as EMG biofeedback, other relaxation techniques, massage, physiotherapy and--in selected cases--psychotherapy or acupuncture.

Analgesics↗
PubMed1994

[Therapeutic use of botulinum A toxin in neurology].

The highly potent neurotoxins produced by Clostridium botulinum lead to botulism when ingested in appreciable amounts. However, botulinum toxin injections delivered intramuscularly in very small quantities can produce a therapeutically intended focal paresis while producing only negligible local or systemic side effects. Over the past several years, various neurological disorders, especially those involving increased muscle tone and/or abnormal movements, have been successfully treated with local botulinum A toxin injections. The success of this method has led to a general change in the management of blepharospasm, torticollis spasmodicus, hemifacial spasm, and other disorders. Treatment is usually effective for 4 to 12 weeks; if symptoms recur, the injections can be repeated over a period of several years, usually with the same success. Side effects depend on the site of the injections, and are rare at the optimal dosage and always reversible. For optimum therapeutic results, this treatment must be restricted to specialized centers.

Botulinum Toxins↗
PubMed1993

[Applied psychoacoustics in space flight].

Simulation free field hearing by head phones by means of digital filter technics was used to investigate directional hearing and audiocinetic vection in microgravity. Our data showed basic informations for the understanding of the reciprocal influence of vestibular and auditory inputs for dynamic orientation. The technical equipment of free field hearing simulation by headphones and the performed experiments are described in detail. Furthermore the new established technology is discussed in terms of the value in psychoacoustic research as well as in clinical practice.

Auditory Perception↗
PubMed1993

[Tension headache--new evaluation of symptomatology based on International Headache Society diagnostic criteria].

This study presents the history and clinical findings in 80 patients suffering from tension-type headache diagnosed according to the criteria (group 2) proposed in 1988 by the Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society (IHS). The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the extent to which the symptomatology in our cases still corresponds with the clinical picture of tension headache described in the older literature. A positive family history of headache was obtained in 59% of the patients; mothers of headache patients were affected five times more often than fathers; a history of migraine was reported as frequently as tension-type headache in the families of the investigated patients. The first manifestation of headaches arose almost exclusively in the first four decades of life, whereby two peaks (15-20 and 35-40 years) were observed in patients with the episodic form. Headache in younger patients showed no distinct diurnal pattern; headache in older patients, however, predominantly occurred immediately after awakening from sleep or in the morning. Changes of weather and psychosocial stress were the most frequent precipitating factors; additionally, the premenstrual period, occupational stress, and sleep deprivation were precipitating factors in female patients. Bilateral pain was most often located in the occipital/nuchal, in the frontal, and the periorbital regions. Headache was usually described as pressing/tightening in quality. Difficulties in concentration and the need of rest were the most important associated symptoms. Photophobia, phonophobia and autonomic symptoms were less frequent and are probably partially drug-related and may also be due to the fact that the selected group of patients suffered from severe forms of headache. 33 of our 80 patients belonged to the subgroup "with disorders of pericranial muscles" (IHS criteria: groups 2.1.1., 2.2.1). A remarkable low percentage of patients, especially of the male sufferers, reported regular smoking and/or drinking habits. Oral contraceptives influenced neither frequency nor intensity of headache attacks. Signs of depressive disorders were present in 28% of the female patients. The differences in symptomatology of tension-type headache between patients with episodic and chronic forms, between female and male patients, and also between younger and elderly patients are documented and have to be taken into account in the diagnostik evaluation of this condition.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Differential diagnostic considerations in eosinophilia with reference to a 19-year-old patients with Löffler endocarditis].

In this case report a 19-year-old girl suffering from hypereosinophilia with 3500 cells/mm3 and involvement of the right lung, lymph nodes, skin, serosa and heart is described. Within 10 days of admission an infiltration of the right upper lung lobe disappeared spontaneously and was diagnosed as transient eosinophilic lung infiltration according to Löffler. Both lymph node needle biopsy and several skin biopsies revealed merely general reactive changes whereas a bronchial lavage produced a significant number of eosinophilic granulocytes. Autoimmunologic or infectious-toxic disorders were ruled out as etiologic causes. Within 4 weeks after admission severe mitral and tricuspidal insufficiency as well as AV-block second grade and protodiastolic galloping rhythm developed in addition to progressing polyserositis. The echocardiographic pattern was in accordance with restrictive endocarditis. Due to the greatly reduced left ventricular ejection fraction cortisone (125 mg prednison equivalent) was tentatively administered as therapy. Within 2 weeks heart-, serosa- and lymph-node-findings became normal as well as the eosinophilic count, the scaling skin rash being only partly improved. After 10 months of continuous cortisone therapy (10 mg prednison equivalent) the patient was without evidence of disease. However in conclusion, it may be said that such pattern of findings suggests a hypereosinophilic syndrome with Löffler endocarditis with an unknown future course of disease although generally survival prognosis may not be too high.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

MR of cerebral Whipple disease.

A case of cerebral Whipple disease is reported. MR findings of the brain are discussed in relation to neuropathologic lesions reported previously. Repeated MR investigations may serve as a valuable tool to evaluate long-term efficacy of treatment in cerebral Whipple disease.

Atrophy↗