Cluster headache: cardiovascular responses to head-up tilt.
Head-up tilt tests were performed in six cluster headache patients in a bout of attacks, but in a pain-free interval at the time of investigation; and in eleven controls matched for age, basal blood pressure, and heart rate. A Doppler servomethod was used for a noninvasive, beat-to-beat blood pressure determination. There were no significant differences between the cluster headache and control groups for heart rate and systolic blood pressure response to the head-up tilt. However, the average diastolic blood pressure seemed to drop more after the tilt in the cluster headache group than in the control group; in particular, in the later part of the test. This might suggest a dysfunction of the baroreflex in cluster headache patients in a bout, also outside of attacks, and most probably of the sympathetically-mediated vasomotor response.
Kruszewski
P
P
Department of Neurology, Trondheim (Norway) University Hospital, Norway.
Bordini
C
C
Brubakk
A O
AO
Sjaastad
O
O
D000328:Adult; D017704:Baroreflex; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003027:Cluster Headache / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011187:Posture