Biomedical subjects

R Falip

Publications and source records attributed to R Falip.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

[Profile of the migrainous patients according to drug intakes].

Migraine headache is a common, recurrent and often incapacitating disorder resulting in a substantial loss of work days and productivity, significant consumption of medicines, and considerable economic cost. We performed this study in order to determine the characteristic features of migrainous patients with regular or frequent intake of ergotamine preparations and non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and the existence of significant differences between both groups. 186 patients were included in the study, 36.6% suffering from migraine without aura and 63.4% from migraine with aura. 24.7% were males and 75.3% females. Mean age of the sample was 35.6 +/- 12.9 years. With regard to medication used for immediate relief of headache, 74.7% patients reported an intake of analgesics and 25.3% ergotamine preparations. In patients with analgesic intake the mean age was significantly lower than in patients with ergotamine for treatment of migraine. When clinic features of these two headache groups were examined, the duration of migraine attacks in the analgesic group was significantly higher (p = 0.0014) than in the ergotamine group, and the severity of migraine was lower (p < 0.05) than in this group. Among associated symptoms, nausea and vomiting were significantly less frequent (p = 0.024) in the analgesic group than in the group of patients with ergotamine intake.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Epidemiology of migraine].

Knowing the epidemiology of migraine is important for a host of reasons. Migraine is one of the most prevalent types of headache. In addition, it constitutes a pathology which due to its cyclic, recurring and highly incapacitating characteristics has enormous repercussions on the quality of life of those affected; it is responsible for the loss of an important number of working days and of production; responsible too for the vast consumption of medicaments and consequently represents a considerable economic cost. An epidemiological study, however, of its pathology poses countless difficulties owing to its characteristics and its association with risk factors. In this present work we review the obstacles to carrying out migraine epidemiological studies and we also comment upon many such studies found in the literature. In each section we present the data obtained in such studies as were performed by our working group.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Factors brought on by migraine].

Migraine is a paroxysmic abnormality in which asymtomatic periods alternate with the appearance of attacks. Such attacks are the end result of a chain of events leading on to the acute clinical syndrome. Amongst those phenomena which occur in the days prior to the attack starting, the factors which bring such attacks on have been widely studied by a great number of researchers. Identifying these initiating factors is a fundamental preventive element and looking into the behavioural mechanisms of such factors could prove useful in clarifying the pathogenic mechanisms of migraine. In the present study we review most of the works which have sought to identify these factors concerning the development of attacks and to work out their behavioural patterns.

Coffee↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Stress as a precipitating factor in migraine].

Stress is the precipitating factor in migraine which is most commonly recognized by patients. There are many affected who describe headaches brought on by stressful situations and events, although they also speak of the onset of their attacks during the period of calm immediately after such moments of stress. There are however few objective works in the literature which study the relationship between stress and migraine. In the present work we review that literature which does exist concerning such a relationship.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Comparative study of nicardipine versus placebo in the prevention of cognitive deterioration in patients with transient ischemic attack].

The neuropsychological follow up of transient ischemic attacks can provide a model for evaluating the efficiency of a drug in vascular dementia. A double blind study has been conducted using nicardipine, a calcium-antagonist, as opposed to a placebo in 40 patients with transient ischemic attacks, over a six month period. The patients were evaluated according to a Wechsler's intelligence scale, and their memory was also tested before and after this period. Although no alterations were registered on either scale, some differences did appear in certain sub-tests, especially as regards the verbal coefficient. This pilot study has provided information concerning the possible beneficial effect of the drug, which should be proven by means of a larger-scale study.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Hormonal markers of stress in acute cerebrovascular pathology].

Various studies carried out over the last decade have shown that high glucose levels in the blood foster ischaemic brain damage associated with a worse evolution of such pathologies. The aim of the study we performed was to try to shed some light on whether stress in these patients raised their glucose levels adding to a worsening of the patient's clinical picture. We studied 318 consecutive patients suffering from stroke. We determined fasting glucose levels, prolactin and cortisol within the first few hours of hospitalization and afterwards at seven to ten days and again at one month after the stroke. Clinical severity was evaluated using Toronto and Mathew neurological scales and the degree of incapacity was measured using the Barthel functional scale on the three aforementioned occasions and Rankin's modified scale six and twelve months after the stroke. Clinical severity the first hours after stroke was significantly related to glucose levels, such relationship not being observed with prolactin and cortisol. Nor did we observe any significant association between glucose and these hormones. Likewise the anxiety scale had no relationship with any hormone. Studying medium and long term functional incapacity, glucose significantly correlated with the Rankin scale although with low dependence, such a relationship not being found either with prolactin or cortisol. Our work would seem to indicate that blood glucose behaviour is independent of prolactin and cortisol levels since we found no such relationship between them.

Aged↗