Publications by authors named "William K Karlsson"

Objective: To compare all licensed drug interventions as oral monotherapy for the acute treatment of migraine episodes in adults.

Design: Systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Data Sources: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline, Embase, ClinicalTrials.

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Background: To synthesize the available epidemiologic data on short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks (SUNHA). This, in turn, might inform diagnostic work-up and clinical decision-making.

Methods: EMBASE and PubMed were searched for observational studies reporting on the prevalence or relative frequency of SUNHA or its individual clinical features.

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Objective: To assess the prevalence or relative frequency of paroxysmal hemicrania and its clinical features in the adult general population and among adult patients evaluated for headache in tertiary care.

Background: Paroxysmal hemicrania is a rare trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia with characteristic attacks of headache, associated cranial autonomic symptoms and signs, and an absolute response to indomethacin. Its epidemiological burden remains unknown in both the adult general population and among adult patients evaluated for headache in a tertiary care setting.

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Stress-induced childhood-onset neurodegeneration with variable ataxia and seizures (CONDSIAS) is an extremely rare, autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder. It is caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in the ADPRS gene, which encodes an enzyme involved in DNA repair, and is characterized by exacerbations in relation to physical or emotional stress, and febrile illness. We report a 24-year-old female, who was compound heterozygous for two novel pathogenic variants revealed by whole exome sequencing.

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Background: Erenumab has demonstrated effectiveness for prevention of migraine attacks, but the treatment is costly, and a considerable proportion of patients do not respond to it. The Registry for Migraine study (REFORM) was initiated to discover biomarkers that can predict response to erenumab in patients with migraine. The specific objective was to investigate differences in erenumab efficacy based on clinical information, blood-based biomarkers, structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and response to intravenous infusion of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP).

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Background: Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), structurally related to vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), is one of the important mediators in the pathogenesis of migraine and is known to dilate cranial arteries and induce headache and migraine. Our objective was to determine whether Lu AG09222-an investigational humanized monoclonal antibody directed against PACAP ligand-would inhibit the PACAP-signaling cascade by abolishing its vasodilatory and headache-inducing abilities.

Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, single-dose, placebo-controlled study of Lu AG09222, healthy volunteers aged 18-45 years without history of headache disorders were randomly allocated to three treatment sequences (1:2:2) on two experimental infusion visits with 9 ± 3 days' interval: placebo + saline + saline (n = 5), placebo + PACAP38 + VIP (n = 10), and Lu AG09222 + PACAP38 + VIP (n = 10).

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A 36-year-old nullipara at 35 weeks of gestation woke up with slurred speech and dysphagia. The next day, she developed abruption of the placenta, underwent an acute cesarean, and was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia. Neurologic examination revealed flaccid dysarthria, bilateral soft palate palsy, reduced taste of the left posterior tongue, left-sided tongue deviation, and paralysis of the left sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles.

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Purpose Of Review: The aim of this study was to provide an overview of clinical studies on calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) measurements in body fluids of migraine patients and to discuss the validity of CGRP measurement as a clinical biomarker of migraine.

Recent Findings: Several studies have reported increased CGRP levels in venous blood, saliva and tear fluid of migraine patients compared with healthy controls and in migraine patients during attacks compared with the interictal state, suggesting that CGRP may be a feasible biomarker of migraine. However, the findings of studies investigating CGRP levels in migraine patients are generally conflicting and measurements of CGRP levels are challenged by several methodological issues.

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Background: Subarachnoid haemorrhage has an incidence of up to nine per 100,000 person-years. It carries a mortality of 30% to 45% and leaves 20% dependent in activities of daily living. The major causes of death or disability after the haemorrhage are delayed cerebral ischaemia and rebleeding.

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Pathogenic variants in the SYNE1 gene are associated with a phenotypic spectrum spanning from late-onset, slowly progressive, relatively pure ataxia to early-onset, fast progressive multisystemic disease. Since its first description in 2007 as an adult-onset ataxia in French Canadian families, subsequent identification of patients worldwide has widened the clinical spectrum and increased the number of identified pathogenic variants. We report a 20-year-old Faroese female with early-onset progressive gait problems, weakness, dysphagia, slurred speech, orthostatic dizziness, and urge incontinence.

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Background And Aims: Metronidazole, a commonly used antibiotic drug, can cause adverse effects in the central nervous system termed metronidazole-induced encephalopathy, leading to diagnostic challenges. The condition is rare and a detailed description of its phenotype is lacking. In this systematic review we investigated the clinical features of metronidazole-induced encephalopathy to promote recognition and elaborate the description.

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Introduction: Encephalopathy and convulsive seizures are rare manifestations of metronidazole toxicity. The incidence is unknown, but the condition has most frequently been reported in patients in their fifth to sixth decades. Usually, this condition is regarded as reversible, but permanent deficits and even death have been reported.

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Listeria monocytogenes is associated with rhombencephalitis. However, the exact mechanisms of brainstem invasion remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate clinical and radiological data suggesting that Listeria may invade the brainstem via the trigeminal nerve.

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Endothelial dysfunction (ED), in particular cerebral ED, may be an essential biomarker for ischaemic cerebrovascular disease. However, there is no consensus on methods to best estimate cerebral ED. In this systematic review, we evaluate the use of l-arginine and N -monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA) for assessment of cerebral ED.

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Introduction: Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) has been used as a tumor marker in the follow-up of colorectal cancer for more than 40 years. Controversy exists regarding its diagnostic applicability due to a relatively low sensitivity and a questionable effect on mortality. The aim of this review was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of CEA in detecting recurrence after intended curative surgery for primary colorectal cancer.

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