Biomedical subjects

T Pringsheim

Publications and source records attributed to T Pringsheim.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Selective decrease in serotonin synthesis rate in rat brainstem raphe nuclei following chronic administration of low doses of amitriptyline: an effect compatible with an anti-migraine effect.

The effects of chronic, low-dose amitriptyline on serotonin (5-HT) synthesis rate were measured in rat brain using autoradiography and the trapping of alpha-[14C]-methyl-L-tryptophan (alpha-[14C]-MTrp). Rats received amitriptyline (2 mg/kg per day) or saline via intraperitoneal osmotic minipumps for 21 days. Amitriptyline had no effect on any physiological parameters measured, or on free or total plasma tryptophan levels. However, amitriptyline exerted selective decreases of 15% and 17% (P < 0.001) in serotonin synthesis rates in the dorsal and median raphe nuclei, respectively. There was no reduction in any of the projection areas studied, including the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus or striatum. The data suggest that chronic low doses of amitriptyline can lead to sustained 5-HT re-uptake inhibition selectively in the raphe nuclei, an effect compatible with tonic activation of 5-HT(1A) autoreceptors and inhibition of 5-HT synthesis. The failure of chronic amitriptyline treatment to affect 5-HT synthesis rate in the projection areas may ensure an adequate regulation of pain pathways implicated in migraine headache, an effect possibly related to amitriptyline anti-migraine efficacy.

Amitriptyline↗

PubMed1998

In-patient treatment of chronic daily headache using dihydroergotamine: a long-term follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of chronic daily headache (CDH) due to medication overuse remains a common and difficult problem. For selected patients refractory to outpatient management we have used a treatment protocol using dihydroergotamine (DHE) as introduced by Raskin, during a brief (typically 48 hours) in-patient stay. While many studies have documented the short-term efficacy of the DHE protocol, there are limited data on its long-term effects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate quality of life, at three months post treatment and the present time. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of all patients admitted for the DHE protocol from 1991 to 1996 revealed 174 cases. Of these, 132 patients were interviewed by phone. RESULTS: The DHE protocol was shown to decrease headache frequency, severity, headache medication use, and absences from work both at three months and the time of interview. CONCLUSION: This study has the largest patient base and the longest follow-up period for the use of DHE for CDH. The results confirm that the DHE protocol is helpful in breaking the cycle of CDH, although the long-term outcomes of this study are more conservative than other studies have reported.

Dihydroergotamine↗