Hemiplegic migraine

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Hemiplegic migraine
Other names Familial hemiplegic migraine or sporadic hemiplegic migraine [1]
Autosomal dominant - en.svg
Hemiplegic migraine is inherited via autosomal dominant manner

Symptoms and signs

Hemiplegia (Greek 'hemi' = Half), is a condition that affects one side of the body. Signs of a hemiplegic migraine attack are similar to what would be presented in a stroke that typically includes sudden severe headache on one side of the brain, weakness of half the body, ataxia and aphasia which can last for hours, days or weeks. [2]

Contents

Cause

Diagnosis

Classification

The ICHD classification and diagnosis of migraine distinguish 6 subtypes of hemiplegic migraine. [3] Familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) can be loosely divided into two categories: with and without cerebellar signs. Cerebellar signs refer to ataxia, sometimes episodic and other times progressive, that can accompany FHM1 mutations and is caused by degeneration of the cerebellum. These cerebellar signs result in a phenotypic overlap between FHM and both episodic ataxia and spinocerebellar ataxia. This is unsurprising as subtypes of these disorders (FHM1, EA2 and SCA6) are allelic, i.e., they result from mutations in the same gene. The other forms of FHM seem to be distinguishable only on the basis of their genetic cause.[ citation needed ]

Familial hemiplegic migraine

Familial hemiplegic migraine is a form of hemiplegic migraine headache that runs in families. [4] Hemiplegic migraine is inherited via autosomal dominant manner.

Sporadic hemiplegic migraine

There are also non-familial cases of hemiplegic migraine, termed sporadic hemiplegic migraine. These cases seem to have the same causes as the familial cases and represent de novo mutations. Sporadic cases are also clinically identical to familial cases with the exception of a lack of family history of attacks. [5]

Screening

Prenatal screening is not typically done for FHM, however it may be performed if requested. As penetrance is high, individuals found to carry mutations should be expected to develop signs of FHM at some point in life.[ citation needed ]

Management

People with FHM are encouraged to avoid activities that may trigger their attacks. Minor head trauma is a common attack precipitant, so FHM sufferers should avoid contact sports. Acetazolamide or standard drugs are often used to treat attacks, though those leading to vasoconstriction should be avoided due to the risk of stroke.[ citation needed ]

Epidemiology

Migraine itself is a very common disorder, occurring in 15–20% of the population. Hemiplegic migraine, be it familial or spontaneous, is less prevalent, 0.01% prevalence according to one report. [6] Women are three times more likely to be affected than males.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

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Joubert syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder that affects the cerebellum, an area of the brain that controls balance and coordination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MELAS syndrome</span> Medical condition

Mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) is one of the family of mitochondrial diseases, which also include MIDD (maternally inherited diabetes and deafness, MERRF syndrome, and Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy. It was first characterized under this name in 1984. A feature of these diseases is that they are caused by defects in the mitochondrial genome which is inherited purely from the female parent. The most common MELAS mutation is mitochondrial mutation, mtDNA, referred to as m.3243A>G.

Familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) is an autosomal dominant type of hemiplegic migraine that typically includes weakness of half the body which can last for hours, days, or weeks. It can be accompanied by other symptoms, such as ataxia, coma, and paralysis. Migraine attacks may be provoked by minor head trauma. Some cases of minor head trauma in patients with hemiplegic migraine can develop into delayed cerebral edema, a life-threatening medical emergency. Clinical overlap occurs in some FHM patients with episodic ataxia type 2 and spinocerebellar ataxia type 6, benign familial infantile epilepsy, and alternating hemiplegia of childhood.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sporadic hemiplegic migraine</span> Medical condition

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">PRRT2</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia</span> Medical condition

Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia (ADCA) is a form of spinocerebellar ataxia inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. ADCA is a genetically inherited condition that causes deterioration of the nervous system leading to disorder and a decrease or loss of function to regions of the body.

Alternating hemiplegia is a form of hemiplegia that has an ipsilateral cranial nerve palsies and contralateral hemiplegia or hemiparesis of extremities of the body. The disorder is characterized by recurrent episodes of paralysis on one side of the body. There are multiple forms of alternating hemiplegia, Weber's syndrome, middle alternating hemiplegia, and inferior alternating hemiplegia. This type of syndrome can result from a unilateral lesion in the brainstem affecting both upper motor neurons and lower motor neurons. The muscles that would receive signals from these damaged upper motor neurons result in spastic paralysis. With a lesion in the brainstem, this affects the majority of limb and trunk muscles on the contralateral side due to the upper motor neurons decussation after the brainstem. The cranial nerves and cranial nerve nuclei are also located in the brainstem making them susceptible to damage from a brainstem lesion. Cranial nerves III (Oculomotor), VI (Abducens), and XII (Hypoglossal) are most often associated with this syndrome given their close proximity with the pyramidal tract, the location which upper motor neurons are in on their way to the spinal cord. Damages to these structures produce the ipsilateral presentation of paralysis or palsy due to the lack of cranial nerve decussation before innervating their target muscles. The paralysis may be brief or it may last for several days, many times the episodes will resolve after sleep. Some common symptoms of alternating hemiplegia are mental impairment, gait and balance difficulties, excessive sweating and changes in body temperature.

Because genetics influence susceptibility to migraine, it can be shaped by evolution. Fitness-impairing disorders, including severe headache, tend to disappear as a result of natural selection, and their frequency decreases to near the rate of spontaneous mutation. However, migraine has not diminished over millions of years of evolution. Its prevalence has at least been maintained at a high level, and has even been shown to be increasing. This phenomenon suggests that a central nervous system (CNS) susceptible to severe, intermittent headache has been linked to an important survival or reproductive advantage. Five possible evolutionary explanations exist: i) migraine as a defence mechanism, ii) migraine as a result of conflicts with other organisms, iii) migraine as a result of novel environmental factors, iv) migraine as a compromise between genetic harms and benefits, and v) headache as a design constraint. These considerations allow the treatment and prevention of migraine to be approached from an evolutionary medicine perspective.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autosomal dominant porencephaly type I</span> Medical condition

Autosomal dominant porencephaly type I is a rare type of porencephaly that causes cysts to grow on the brain and damage to small blood vessels, which can lead to cognitive impairment, migraines, seizures, and hemiplegia or hemiparesis.

References

  1. RESERVED, INSERM US14 -- ALL RIGHTS. of diseases=Familial-or-sporadic-hemiplegic-migraine&title=Familial-or-sporadic-hemiplegic-migraine&search=Disease_Search_Simple "Orphanet: Familial or sporadic hemiplegic migraine". www.orpha.net. Retrieved 20 July 2017.{{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  2. "What is hemiplegia? | HemiHelp: for children and young people with hemiplegia (hemiparesis)". www.hemihelp.org.uk. Retrieved 2019-07-09.
  3. Website The International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd edition (Beta version). Retrieved 29. August 2016.
  4. "familial hemiplegic migraine". Genetics Home Reference. Genetics Home Reference. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  5. "sporadic hemiplegic migraine". Genetics Home Reference. Genetics Home Reference. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  6. Lykke Thomsen, L; Kirchmann Eriksen, M; Faerch Romer, S; Andersen, I; Ostergaard, E; Keiding, N; Olesen, J; Russell, MB (June 2002). "An epidemiological survey of hemiplegic migraine". Cephalalgia. 22 (5): 361–375. doi:10.1046/j.1468-2982.2002.00371.x. PMID   12110112. S2CID   22040734.