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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> Pineal gland involvement in CH?
        
(Message started by: georgej on Oct 26^th, 2006, 1:28pm)

Title: Pineal gland involvement in CH?
Post by georgej on Oct 26^th, 2006, 1:28pm

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1305631&dopt=Abstract

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=16606930&dopt=Abstract

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=14190972

There seem to be quite a few other links as well. This is new to me--does anyone have further information?

Best wishes,

George

Title: Re: Pineal gland involvement in CH?
Post by LeeS on Oct 26^th, 2006, 1:35pm

Sorry, got to go George - but yes, I have lots on this.

Thanks for bringing it up - I'll catch you later.

-Lee

Title: Re: Pineal gland involvement in CH?
Post by floridian on Oct 26^th, 2006, 8:49pm

The hypothalamus can 'control' the pineal, the thyroid, many other glands. When the hypothalamus won't work, nobody wants to work the way they should.

Title: Re: Pineal gland involvement in CH?
Post by starlight on Oct 26^th, 2006, 11:41pm

The pineal gland, from what I understand, could influence the function of the hypothalamus as it is the mediator between the light outside the body and the hypothalamus. If there is something wrong with the pineal gland--this gland is what "conducts" the light into the body, into the brain and hence the hypothalamus. Right, so primary dysfunction, could theoretically at some point BEGIN there--in the pineal. Like, if it is not doing its job conducting then there will be problems--but that is only how i have pictured this gland to work.
The links sound like cutting edge research to me. Thanks for posting them George.

Title: Re: Pineal gland involvement in CH?
Post by BB on Oct 27^th, 2006, 9:59pm

They all work together by a bio feedback system with the hypothalamus being the "supervisor".

All the glands : pineal, thyroid, adrenal, gonadal etc produce hormones, the levels get signalled back to the hypothalamus which will try to fine tune things if they are out of whack.

So if the hypothalamus is not working, things go haywires, but then if any of the glands dont work properly and sends the hypothalamus the wrong messages, this can "confuse " the hypothalamus and things go haywire too.

Annette

Title: Re: Pineal gland involvement in CH?
Post by LeeS on Oct 28^th, 2006, 6:04am

Hi George – as I said, thanks for bringing this up.

If we consider the underlying hypothesis that the pineal gland is malfunctioning amongst CH sufferers; either through an inherent abnormality or through other internal and/or external influences, then how so? The answer may possibly lie in pineal calcification.

The pineal gland contains several calcified concretions called "brain sand" or acervuli (corpora arenacea). Predominantly composed of calcium and magnesium salts, corpora arenacea are numerous in older people. In smaller numbers they can be present in children as well. The presence of calcified concretions is not thought to indicate a pathological condition except when they are found in young patients when they may suggest the presence of pineal germinomas. Pineal calcification used to be an important landmark of an intracranial mass in the pre-CT era, when only plain films were available. It has now lost almost all of its diagnostic value but I wonder if it should be re-visited.

Interestingly, more recent studies suggest that abnormal melatonin functions may be implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Since there is evidence that the presence of pineal calcification may relate, amongst other factors, to disturbances in melatonin secretion, one study looked at the relationship of pineal calcification size by CT scanning a number of schizophrenic sufferers. The findings suggested that the nature of onset of schizophrenia may be influenced by the activity of the pineal gland. I wonder how many cluster sufferers, if any, have had their pineal glands scanned, particularly both before and after the onset of their condition, to monitor the degree of calcification?

Another possibility is that CH sufferers may have an imbalance of the catalyst enzymes that help convert serotonin into the other transmitters; particularly NAT, HIOMT and INMT which may be important. If the pineal is malfunctioning in any way, it may not be producing enough of these naturally occurring pineal enzymes, or they may not be catalysing effectively, leading ultimately to lower levels of pertinent transmitters. I find it interesting to note that 5-HTP, the precursor to serotonin, is sometimes used effectively in the treatment of CH, but can actually appear to make the condition worse amongst some sufferers. Perhaps an imbalance of these enzymes amongst sufferers is the reason for this?

Anyway, I could go on for ever about this, but thankfully I won’t. Check out the last nine issues of the OUCH newsletter for further details (shameless plug).

-Lee

Title: Re: Pineal gland involvement in CH?
Post by LeLimey on Oct 28^th, 2006, 6:07am

on 10/28/06 at 06:04:16, LeeS wrote:

Anyway, I could go on for ever about this, but thankfully I won’t.

:-X

You know I love reading your stuff really ratbag!

Title: Re: Pineal gland involvement in CH?
Post by yikes-another-one on Oct 28^th, 2006, 11:35am

My doc wants to look into a pituitary tumor...
these are microscopic and non-cancerous...
and often mis-diagnosed....as it affect hormones,
and many get treated for tag-along symptoms...
they don't seem to operate unless the tumors grow
to contort the optical nerve....

I really didn't have any headaches until I turned
mid twenties...and that was when I started having
other troubles too.....ugh.

can I request a head-ect-omy????
anyone? Feris??? ANYONE????