Generating and testing the efficacy of reagents for CRISPR/Cas9 homology directed repair-based manipulations in Tribolium.

CRISPR/Cas9 manipulations are possible in many insects and ever expanding. Nonetheless, success in one species and techniques developed for it are not necessarily applicable to other species. As such, the development and expansion of CRISPR-based (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) genome-editing tools and methodologies are dependent upon direct experimentation.

Real-world experience with once-daily gabapentin for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).

Objectives: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of once-daily gastroretentive gabapentin (G-GR) for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia in real-world clinical practice.

Materials And Methods: Patients aged 18 years and above were divided into 2 cohorts: patients aged 70 years and below and patients above 70 years. All patients were titrated to 1800 mg G-GR/d over 2 weeks and maintained at that dosage for 6 weeks, for 8 weeks total treatment.

New daily persistent headache and potential new therapeutic agents.

New daily persistent headache is a form of a chronic daily headache with a unique temporal profile. Patients can recall the exact day when their headache started. It can be one of the most refractory types of headache to treat.

CoEnzyme Q10 and riboflavin: the mitochondrial connection.

Objective: We conducted a short review of relevant literature which contends that migraine is associated with a wide-spread metabolic abnormality of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, leading to the use of riboflavin and coenzyme Q10 as prophylactic therapy for migraine.

Background: Riboflavin and coenzyme Q10 supplementation has been recommended widely as safe and effective prophylactic therapy for migraine. The background neurophysiological studies that led to the development of this therapy, which are extremely complex, deserve wider distribution.

The treatment of medically intractable trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia with supraorbital/supratrochlear stimulation: a retrospective case series.

Introduction: This is a retrospective case series of five patients with intractable trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia (TAC) who were implanted with a supraorbital/supratrochlear neuromodulation system.

Objectives: The aim of this Institutional Review Board-approved study was to investigate the percentage of pain relief, treatment response, pain level, work status, medication intake, implantation technique, lead placement, programming information, and device use.

Results: Trial stimulation led to implantation of all five patients.

Defining refractory migraine: results of the RHSIS Survey of American Headache Society members.

Objectives: To gauge consensus regarding a proposed definition for refractory migraine proposed by Refractory Headache Special Interest Section, and where its use would be most appropriate.

Background: Headache experts have long recognized that a subgroup of headache sufferers remains refractory to treatment. Although different groups have proposed criteria to define refractory migraine, the definition remains controversial.

Defining refractory migraine and refractory chronic migraine: proposed criteria from the Refractory Headache Special Interest Section of the American Headache Society.

Certain migraines are labeled as refractory, but the entity lacks a well-accepted operational definition. This article summarizes the results of a survey sent to American Headache Society members to evaluate interest in a definition for RM and what were considered necessary criteria. Review of the literature, collaborative discussions and results of the survey contributed to the proposed definition for RM.

Cluster headache treatment dilemmas: the experts respond.

When conventional treatment approaches to cluster headache are unsuccessful, expert recommendations are relevant but may not be easily accessible to treating clinicians. We conducted a study of expert recommendations in response to standardized vignettes. Ten expert headache clinicians were asked what treatment they would recommend for a hypothetical 55-year-old male cluster headache patient in the following five situations: 1) known coronary artery disease with response only to sumatriptan; 2) strictly unilateral headaches unresponsive to preventive treatment; 3) effective abortive treatment not covered by insurance; 4) patient request to obtain methysergide from Canada; and 5) headaches responsive only to steroid treatment.

Cluster headache: myths and the evidence.

Although cluster headache (CH) has been the focus of a great deal of research, it also has been the focus of a great deal of speculations that have been repeated commonly as fact. The authors conducted a thorough review of the literature and an informal poll of several noted headache experts to investigate the truth behind common myths and hypotheses regarding CH. They then present an overview of some of these more common hypotheses, observations, and myths, and offer a brief review of the existing evidence supporting or negating the theories.

Topical agents in the treatment of cluster headache.

This article discusses topical intranasal medications in the treatment of cluster headache.

Analgesic rebound headache in clinical practice: data from a physician survey.

Background: Frequent, excessive use of over-the-counter or prescription analgesics may lead to analgesic rebound headache. Little is known about the magnitude of the health problem posed by analgesic rebound headache, its epidemiology, the characteristics of analgesic rebound headache sufferers, or about physicians' approaches to treatment.

Methods: Four hundred seventy-three practitioners, who had previously expressed an interest in the treatment of headache, were mailed a questionnaire designed to capture information about the frequency and management of analgesic rebound headache and about the characteristics of analgesic rebound headache sufferers.

Migraine prophylaxis with divalproex.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness and safety of divalproex sodium (Depakote) and placebo in the prophylaxis of migraine headache.

Design: Multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled investigation, having a 4-week, single-blind placebo baseline phase and a 12-week treatment phase (4-week dose adjustment, 8-week maintenance).

Setting: Eight headache/neurology clinics throughout the United States.

Chronic headache: appropriate use of opiate analgesics.

The question of the appropriate use of opiate analgesics in the management of chronic headache pain is under debate. Often, the management of headache pain is complicated by the overuse of dependency-promoting analgesics. Because of confusion about the use of analgesics in pain management, some patients are denied access to necessary opioid analgesia, whereas others receive large quantities of combination analgesics.

Efficacy of subcutaneous sumatriptan in repeated episodes of migraine.

This double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, crossover study investigated the efficacy and tolerability of sumatriptan administered for up to three separate migraine attacks. One hundred twenty adults received sumatriptan (SC, 6 mg; three attacks) and placebo (one attack). Patients completed questionnaires assessing the impact of migraine on their lives and the performance of sumatriptan relative to their usual acute therapies.

Verapamil and migraine prophylaxis: mechanisms and efficacy.

Calcium channel blockers have demonstrated efficacy in investigative use for prophylaxis of migraine and cluster headaches. In particular, verapamil, with its low side-effect profile, appears to be a promising alternative to the currently available agents for prophylactic treatment of chronic recurring headaches. Although its exact mechanisms of action in this application are unknown, verapamil exerts a vasodilatory effect on cerebral arteries and interacts with serotonergic systems involved in migraine pathogenesis.

Eastern equine encephalitis in Massachusetts: a report of 16 cases, 1970-1984.

We studied the case records of 16 patients with eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in Massachusetts from 1970 to 1984 and compared their presentations, courses, and outcomes with the data available from previous epidemics. In recent years, there has been a greater frequency of EEE in adults, whereas in the past it was considered a disease of children. Also, prognosis for a good functional recovery seems to be correlated with age over 40 years, a long prodromal course (5 to 7 days) of constitutional symptoms, and the absence of coma.

Brachial neuropathy after brachial artery-antecubital vein shunts for chronic hemodialysis.

Peripheral mononeuropathies may complicate distal arteriovenous fistulas for chronic renal dialysis. We observed three diabetic patients who developed pain, paresthesias, and weakness in the distribution of the median, ulnar, and radial nerves shortly after construction of proximal brachial artery-antecubital vein fistulas. EMG confirmed multiple distal nerve injuries.

Genetic brain polypeptide variants in inbred mice and in mouse strains with high and low sensitivity to alcohol.

Twelve genetically determined brain polypeptide charge variants were identified by comparing cerebellar vermis of 7 inbred mouse strains and of mice selectively bred from 8 strains closely related to these 7 ancestral strains and one other for acute behavioral sensitivity to the sedative effects of ethanol. The selectively bred ethanol-sensitive (LS, long sleep) and insensitive (SS, short sleep) mice exhibited different allelic variants at 6 of these 12 gene loci expressed in the cerebellum. Variant polypeptide A1 (81 kdalton, pI 5.

Verapamil in prophylactic therapy of migraine.

We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of verapamil HCl in the prophylaxis of chronic migraine headaches. Verapamil significantly reduced both headache frequency and duration with few side effects. The drug may be useful for a segment of the migraine population refractory to other prophylactic agents or for those who cannot tolerate the side effects of other drugs.

Induction of alcohol withdrawal symptoms by nalorphine in chronic alcoholic patients.

The effect of nalorphine on eliciting symptoms of either alcohol or narcotic withdrawal was studied. Five male alcoholics were challenged with nalorphine and saline, both while sober and during alcohol ingestion. After nalorphine, pulse rate decreased in patients when sober, but increased when they were ingesting alcohol.