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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> Research - Cluster Club, Hypothalamus
        
(Message started by: floridian on Jul 28^th, 2004, 10:30am)

Title: Research - Cluster Club, Hypothalamus
Post by floridian on Jul 28^th, 2004, 10:30am

Two interesting things here.

One - the changes to the hypothalamus appear to be FUNCTIONAL. A functional problem is different from a structural problem (or injury or deformity). Functional means it isn't working properly, but nothing appears wrong with it anatomically. This would support biochemical roots of the problem which could be treated with meds. There's a big difference between 'my hypothalamus is broken' and 'my hypothalamus is acting up again.' By way of analogy, inflammatory bowel disease involves a breakdown of the intestines and permanent damage to the tissues - it is called 'organic' because organs are damaged. Irritable bowel syndrome is functional and there is no damage to the intestines (although they don't function properly). Neither disease is fun, but given a choice, a functional disease is less destructive and potentially easier to recover from.

Two - the whole 'cluster club' and the Ottar Sjaastad history. Less relevant to most people than the biology itself, but interesting.

Quote:

Funct Neurol. 2004 Apr-Jun;19(2):73-81.

Cluster headache: the history of the Cluster Club and a review of recent clinical research.

Ekbom K, Waldenlind E.

Department of Neurology, Karolinska Institute Karolinska, University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. karl.ekbom@kus.se

In September 2003, a scientific meeting was held in Rome to revive the International Cluster Headache Research Group (or "Cluster Club") tradition. This group of specialists was originally formed in the late 1970s by Ottar Sjaastad in order to promote research ideas, and to generate papers and other important information in this field. Its meetings, the last of which had taken place in 1994, had been informal events at which there was ample time for lively discussion. The last decade of the 20th century brought a significant increase in clinical and experimental research into cluster headache (CH), and this review summarizes some of the results of this research. The male preponderance of CH has been shown to be progressively decreasing over the years. Revised clinical criteria and a modern classification have been presented. First-degree relatives of probands with CH have been shown to have an increased risk of suffering from CH compared with the general population. Genetic analysis suggests that an autosomal dominant gene plays a role in some families. Functional neuroimaging has contributed to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of the condition. Positron emission tomography during provoked attacks has shown activation of the ipsilateral inferior posterior hypothalamus and it has been suggested that CH might be a functional neurovascular disorder of pacemaker or circadian regions in the hypothalamic grey matter. Subcutaneously administered sumatriptan has emerged as a highly effective acute treatment, but, in our opinion, the emphasis should be on attack prevention. Deep brain stimulation of the inferior posterior hypothalamic grey matter seems to be very promising as a novel treatment targeting the presumed central origin of pain attacks.

Title: Re: Research - Cluster Club, Hypothalamus
Post by UN_SOLVED on Jul 28^th, 2004, 10:39am

Your above quote says:
"Deep brain stimulation of the inferior posterior hypothalamic grey matter seems to be very promising as a novel treatment targeting the presumed central origin of pain attacks. "

I just wanted to add: Even though Deep Brain Stimulation is NOT available in the US yet and won't be for 2 - 3 years, There is a doctor at the Cleveland Clinic who IS putting in electrical stimulators ON TOP of the brain itself and also attempting to 'stimulate' the Sphenopalatine Paletine" region.
Wonder how successful this may or may not be ??

Unsolved
Never know ~ I might try it !