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PubMed1977

Multivariate analysis of the septal syndrome.

Since recent reviews of the behavioural effects of septal lesions agree that more than one explanatory concept is required, a multivariate analysis of the septal syndrome has been made. A total of 127 rats have been tested 73 with septal lesions and 54 controls. The rats were tested in a standard test battery consisting of a residential maze, spontaneous alternation, spatial learning, approach/avoidance conflict and one-way active avoidance. Factor analyses reveal a complex change in the factor structure after septal lesions. None of the previous explanations of septal functions receives unequivocal support. The findings do not exclude the possibility that septal lesions interfere with a few general behaviour mechanisms or perhaps only one. However, if so, this factor does not explain as much of the variance as expected. Situational or test-dependent factors play a greater role in the variance. This is interpreted as an indication of insufficiency in the theoretical structure, or in conventional test designs.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Intraoral chilling versus oral sumatriptan for acute migraine.

Migraine pathophysiology is associated with a dural inflammation. Recent evidence suggests that the primary inflammation occurs in a maxillary nerve segment, accessible intraorally. Local tenderness, related to symptom laterality, has been palpated consistently in asymptomatic migraine patients, and significant migraine relief has been obtained from chilling confined to this area. Thirty-five symptomatic episodic migraine patients were enrolled in this study, comparing 40 minutes of bilateral intraoral chilling, 50 mg of oral sumatriptan, and 40 minutes of sham (tongue) chilling. Hollow metal tubes chilled by circulating ice water were held in the maxillary molar periapical areas by the patient. Pain and nausea were recorded at baseline and 1, 2, 4, and 24 hours after start of treatment, using a numeric symptom-relief scale. Significant mean headache relief was obtained by maxillary chilling and sumatriptan at all four time intervals, with poor relief obtained by placebo. Maxillary chilling was more effective than sumatriptan at all four time intervals. Significant nausea relief was obtained by maxillary chilling and sumatriptan at posttreatment and 2 and 4 hours later. At 24 hours, some headache and nausea recurrence was noted with sumatriptan. The repeated-measures analysis of variance indicated that both treatments, drug (P = 0.024) and maxillary chilling (P = 0.001), reduced the headache, as compared with the control group. Tenderness suggests local inflammation associated with vasodilatation and edema. Because chilling can resolve local edema, these findings raise the possibility that an intraoral inflammation may be a factor in migraine etiology.

Administration, Oral↗