A Dutch cost-effectiveness analysis of fremanezumab versus best supportive care in patients with chronic migraine and inadequate response to prior preventive therapy.

Background: Chronic migraine (CM) is the most severe and burdensome subtype of migraine. Fremanezumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets the calcitonin gene-related peptide pathway as a migraine preventive therapy. This study aimed to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of fremanezumab from a societal perspective in the Netherlands, using a Markov cohort simulation model.

Visual hypersensitivity in patients treated with anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide (receptor) monoclonal antibodies.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of treatment with anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP; receptor) antibodies on visual hypersensitivity in patients with migraine.

Background: Increased visual sensitivity can be present both during and outside migraine attacks. CGRP has been demonstrated to play a key role in light-aversive behavior.

TMS-evoked EEG potentials demonstrate altered cortical excitability in migraine with aura.

Migraine is associated with altered sensory processing, that may be evident as changes in cortical responsivity due to altered excitability, especially in migraine with aura. Cortical excitability can be directly assessed by combining transcranial magnetic stimulation with electroencephalography (TMS-EEG). We measured TMS evoked potential (TEP) amplitude and response consistency as these measures have been linked to cortical excitability but were not yet reported in migraine.

Unilateral increased visual sensitivity in cluster headache: a cross-sectional study.

Background And Objectives: Increased sensitivity to light and patterns is typically associated with migraine, but has also been anecdotally reported in cluster headache, leading to diagnostic confusion. We wanted to assess whether visual sensitivity is increased ictally and interictally in cluster headache.

Methods: We used the validated Leiden Visual Sensitivity Scale (L-VISS) questionnaire (range 0-36 points) to measure visual sensitivity in people with episodic or chronic cluster headache: (i) during attacks; (ii) in-between attacks; and in episodic cluster headache (iii) in-between bouts.

Could erectile dysfunction be a side effect of CGRP inhibition? A case report.

Background: Recently, antimigraine drugs targeting the calcitonin gene-related peptide pathway have been approved for clinical use as preventive migraine medication.

Case Report: We present a case of a 54-year-old male migraine patient, who reported erectile dysfunction as a possible side effect of treatment with galcanezumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting calcitonin gene-related peptide. His potency recovered after treatment discontinuation.

Shared genetic basis between genetic generalized epilepsy and background electroencephalographic oscillations.

Objective: Paroxysmal epileptiform abnormalities on electroencephalography (EEG) are the hallmark of epilepsies, but it is uncertain to what extent epilepsy and background EEG oscillations share neurobiological underpinnings. Here, we aimed to assess the genetic correlation between epilepsy and background EEG oscillations.

Methods: Confounding factors, including the heterogeneous etiology of epilepsies and medication effects, hamper studies on background brain activity in people with epilepsy.

Enhanced pre-ictal cortical responsivity in migraine patients assessed by visual chirp stimulation.

Background: Migraine is associated with altered sensory processing and cortical responsivity that may contribute to susceptibility to attacks by changing brain network excitability dynamics. To gain better insight into cortical responsivity changes in migraine we subjected patients to a short series of light inputs over a broad frequency range ("chirp" stimulation), designed to uncover dynamic features of visual cortex responsivity.

Methods: EEG responses to visual chirp stimulation (10-40 Hz) were measured in controls (n = 24) and patients with migraine with aura (n = 19) or migraine without aura (n = 20).

Quantifying visual allodynia across migraine subtypes: the Leiden Visual Sensitivity Scale.

Enhanced sensitivity to light (photophobia) and patterns is common in migraine and can be regarded as visual allodynia. We aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire to easily quantify sensitivity to light and patterns in large populations, and to assess and compare visual allodynia across different migraine subtypes and states. We developed the Leiden Visual Sensitivity Scale (L-VISS), a 9-item scale (score range 0-36 points), based on literature and patient interviews, and examined its construct validity.

Validity of health insurance data to identify people with epilepsy.

Background: Large administrative databases may prove useful to assess epilepsy-related comorbidity and mortality. Despite their increased use, their validity as data source in epilepsy is yet under-ascertained.

Methods: Achmea is a large Dutch health insurance company covering about 25% of the population.

The retention of lacosamide in patients with epilepsy and intellectual disability in three specialised institutions.

Purpose: We describe the effectiveness of lacosamide as adjunctive therapy in patients with epilepsy and an intellectual disability. This information is relevant, as few data exist pertaining to this population with a high prevalence of (intractable) epilepsy.

Methods: We performed a retrospective study in three specialised institutions.

Seizure precipitants in a community-based epilepsy cohort.

Epileptic seizures can be provoked by several factors. Better understanding of these factors may improve a patient's sense of control and could reduce seizures. In daily practice, the recognition of seizure precipitants relies heavily on clinical or video-EEG evidence, which can be difficult to obtain.

Familial hemiplegic migraine treated by sodium valproate and lamotrigine.

Background: Familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) is a rare monogenic subtype of migraine with aura that includes motor auras. Prophylactic treatment of FHM often has marginal effects and involves a trial-and-error strategy based on therapeutic guidelines for non-hemiplegic migraine and on case reports in FHM.

Methods: We assessed the response to prophylactic medication in an FHM family and sequenced the FHM2 ATP1A2 gene in all available relatives.

Treatment of epilepsy in daily clinical practice: have outcomes improved over the past 10 years?

In the past decade, many new antiepileptic drugs have become available, but their influence on patient outcomes in daily practice is not well known. In a community-based study, we assessed changes in epilepsy treatment and outcomes over a 10-year period. We compared two cross-sectional community-based samples that were obtained from the same Dutch suburban region in 2000 and 2010 using pharmacy records for recruitment, including 344 and 248 epilepsy patients, respectively.

Headache and epilepsy.

Headache and epilepsy often co-occur. Epidemiologic studies conducted in the past few years reinforce the notion of a bi-directional association between migraine and epilepsy. Data on an association between headache (in general) and epilepsy, however, are less clear.

Parenting and restrictions in childhood epilepsy.

Purpose: From the overprotection literature, the predictive and interactional (moderation) effects of controlling and indulgent parenting on restrictions in children with epilepsy were examined.

Methods: Parents of 73 children with epilepsy completed questionnaires on parenting, restrictions, and functional status. Predictive and moderation effects were tested using multiple regression analysis.

[West Nile virus poliomyelitis after a holiday in Egypt].

Background: Due to the worldwide near-extinction of poliovirus infections an acute presentation of poliomyelitis in the Netherlands has become extremely rare. However, in the differential diagnosis of such a disease presentation other pathogens need to be considered as well.

Case Description: A 44-year-old female presented with fever and a flaccid paresis of the left leg, following a holiday in Egypt.

[Bad aftertaste caused by pine nuts].

Background: Dysgeusia caused by the consumption of pine nuts is not widely reported in the medical literature, although much is written about this condition on the Internet.

Case Description: We present the case of a 46-year-old male who complained of metallic and bitter dysgeusia that started 2 days after the ingestion of approximately 70 grams of pine nuts. A literature search revealed only 3 case reports on this subject.

Nervous system adverse responses to topiramate in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Importance Of The Field: Nervous system adverse drug reactions (NS-ADRs), such as cognitive complaints and paresthesia, are among the most frequent and clinically important ADRs of topiramate. Studying ADR profiles across disorders is clinically relevant because treatment decision-making in neuropsychiatry is highly guided by ADR profiles.

Areas Covered In This Review: We used medline searches (until July 2009) to review the NS-ADRs of topiramate across the most investigated topiramate indications: alcohol dependence, essential tremor, binge-eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, migraine and epilepsy.

[Epilepsy from seizure to care].

Epilepsy is very common. The prevalence in the Netherlands is 5:1000 inhabitants. The diagnosis is mostly made on clinical grounds and often incorrectly.

Adjustment of treatment increases quality of life in patients with epilepsy: a randomized controlled pragmatic trial.

Background And Purpose: Complaints about side-effects of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) may be overlooked in clinical practice. We assessed the value and risks of an active intervention policy for reported complaints in a randomized controlled pragmatic trial.

Methods: This randomized controlled pragmatic trial included 111 adults treated for epilepsy in seven general hospitals.

Are migraineurs at increased risk of adverse drug responses? A meta-analytic comparison of topiramate-related adverse drug reactions in epilepsy and migraine.

To compare adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to topiramate in patients with migraine and patients with epilepsy, we systematically reviewed all published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compare topiramate monotherapy in epilepsy and migraine. We included four epilepsy RCTs (N = 1,179 patients; vs. active comparators) and six migraine RCTs (N = 1,723 patients; vs.

Retention of new AEDs in institutionalized intellectually disabled patients with epilepsy.

Purpose: To assess the long-term usefulness of 'new anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs)' (lamotrigine, topiramate, levetiracetam, gabapentin and pregabalin) in institutionalized intellectually disabled patients. Information from RCTs is lacking in this population with severe intellectual and behavioural disabilities.

Methods: Retrospective study.