Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

P Cortelli

Publications and source records attributed to P Cortelli.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Neuroendocrinological evidence of an anti-dopaminergic effect of flunarizine.

The effect of a one month treatment with flunarizine (5 mg/day) on pituitary responsiveness to gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH), thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH) and arginine infusion was assessed in 17 adolescents (11 M, 6 F) treated with the drug to prevent migraine attacks. Basal prolactin concentrations as well as the prolactin response to TRH were significantly (p less than 0.05) increased after flunarizine treatment. Flunarizine had no effect on the folliclestimulating and luteinising hormone response to GnRH stimulation, growth hormone response to arginine infusion or thyrotrophin response to TRH stimulation. Our data suggest that flunarizine may interfere with the hypothalamic-pituitary-prolactin axis decreasing dopaminergic inhibitory tonus.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

L-5-hydroxytryptophan versus placebo in childhood migraine prophylaxis: a double-blind crossover study.

L-5HTP was tested versus placebo in a double-blind crossover study of 27 migraine children aged 6-12 years, who recorded their headaches in a headache diary for 1 month. Twenty-one patients subsequently started the trial. The mean daily dose of L-5HTP was 5 mg/kg body weight, and each treatment period with either L-5HTP or placebo lasted 12 weeks. In group A (L-5HTP-placebo; 10 patients) and group B (placebo-L-5HTP; 11 patients) both L-5HTP and placebo led to a significant reduction of the migraine index and frequency of migraine attacks during the 3rd month of each treatment period. However, we found a treatment X period interaction because the efficacy determinants decreased significantly during the first and the second treatment periods in both groups irrespective of the sequence of treatments. No differences were found between L-5HTP (first period of group A) and placebo (first period of group B).

Child↗
PubMed1986

Cluster headache in the Republic of San Marino.

The prevalence of cluster headache (CH) in the Republic of San Marino (21,792 inhabitants; 10,893 men and 10,899 women) was studied, reviewing the past 15 years' medical records of neurological, ophthalmological, and otorhinolaryngological services. Further cases were searched for by means of a letter sent to each inhabitant. Control of the case collection method was performed on a random sample of 1314 inhabitants over 7 years, interviewed for possible past or present cluster headache. We found 15 cases of CH (14 men, 1 woman), for an estimated prevalence ratio of 69 cases per 100,000 population. No previous reports have been published on the prevalence of CH in the general population.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Long-term prognosis after carotid endarterectomy.

This study analyzed 76 consecutive patients with carotid transient ischemic attacks (TIA) and carotid lesions appropriate to symptoms who underwent endarterectomy during the period 1975-1981. The mean age of the patients was 51.9 +/- 8 years at the time of surgery. Hypertension was present in 32.9%, diabetes mellitus in 13%, ischemic cardiopathy in 8.2% and peripheral vascular disease in 6.6%. Operative mortality was 1.3% and harder morbidity 4%. The average follow-up was 2.6 years (range 1-7 years). The observed 5-year survival rate was 85.2% compared to the expected rate of 92.4% in a normal population. During the follow-up 5 patients had a stroke: the cumulative stroke rate was 4.6% at 1 year and 7.9% at 3 years. 18 patients had further TIAs (13 carotid TIAs and 5 vertebro-basilar TIAs). 6 patients suffered myocardial infarction. The prognosis of TIA patients treated with endarterectomy is difficult to evaluate because the natural history of TIAs is still undefined.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1985

Propranolol plasma levels and relief of migraine. Relationship between plasma propranolol and 4-hydroxypropranolol concentrations and clinical effects.

The relationship between propranolol and 4-hydroxypropranolol plasma concentrations and relief of migraine was assessed in 17 patients during treatment with oral racemic propranolol hydrochloride in doses of 40 to 240 mg/day. Propranolol decreased the migraine index more than 70% in 13 patients: five patients at a dosage of 40 mg/day, five patients at a dosage of 120 mg/day, and three patients at a dosage of 240 mg/day. Three patients did not achieve a good improvement of migraine at any of the doses used. The relief of migraine was not directly related to the propranolol and 4-hydroxypropranolol plasma concentrations.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Classic migraine attack complicated by confusional state: EEG and CT study.

We report electroencephalographic and clinical observations in one attack of classic migraine, accompanied by a confusional state. The ictal EEG showed slow waves over the left hemisphere, the abnormality gradually clearing up during the four days following the attack. A brain CT scan was normal during the attack and also a few days later. A possible relationship between impairment of consciousness during the attack and left hemispheric metabolic dysfunction is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Flunarizine in common migraine: Italian cooperative trial. I. Short-term results and responders' definition.

In order to assess the effects of flunarizine in long-term prophylaxis of common migraine, 120 subjects (90 female and 30 male) were treated with 10 mg at bedtime and followed-up for two years. The effectiveness of the drug was assessed by investigating the variations of the Headache Index (HI) and of the intake of analgesics. The patients considered responders were those with an at least 60% reduction of the HI compared with the baseline value. To assess side effects, on each follow-up examination the patients were weighed and submitted to the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Toulouse-Pieron test for attention, and arousal test. By the third month of therapy, the average monthly HI had decreased from a baseline value of 16.5 +/- 7.0 to 7.5 +/- 4.2. Also by the third month, 60 subjects had proved responders and 50 non-responders; 10 had dropped out of the study because of side effects or for other reasons. The only statistically significant differences between responders and non-responders were in the baseline HI, which was higher among responders, and in the baseline intake of analgesics, which was higher in non-responders.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Hormonal and metabolic changes induced by flunarizine therapy: preliminary results.

The effect of 30-days of flunarizine (5 mg/day) therapy on pituitary, B-pancreatic, gonadic and adrenal function was studied in five adolescents with common migraine. Baseline concentration of growth hormone was significantly reduced after flunarizine therapy. The response of prolactin to thyrotrophin-releasing hormone was significantly increased after flunarizine therapy. The percentages of HbA1 and HbA1c were significantly higher after flunarizine therapy. The drug had no apparent effect on gonadic and adrenal function. Further studies are needed to confirm the effect of flunarizine on the hypothalamus-pituitary axis and glucose tolerance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Analysis of outcome predictors of migraine towards chronicity.

Long-term migraine evolution is still undefined. The poorest outcome is the transformation from episodic attacks to a pattern of daily attacks or continuous headache with intermittent attacks. We called these cases "chronic migraine". The aim of our study was to investigate whether some clinical variables contributed to migraine chronicity. We interviewed 50 patients with chronic migraine from 2 to 15 years and 90 patients with episodic migraine matched for sex and age as a control group. Univariate analysis revealed two correlations with a chronic outcome: (1) In the control group a significantly higher number of women took oral contraceptives. (2) In the group who developed chronic migraine, there were a greater number of smokers, without reaching statistical significance. The stepwise multiple logistic regression method showed that these two variables influence the prognosis with a maximum likelihood estimate of 65%, hence not much higher than random probability.

Adolescent↗