title: SUNCT syndrome: duration, frequency, and temporal distribution of attacks.
abstract: Duration, frequency, and temporal distribution of attacks have been objectively estimated in 11 SUNCT patients (3 women and 8 men). The mean age at the time of the study was 69 years (range 52 to 81). The duration of a total of 348 attacks was measured from videotape records, polygraphic tracings, or by stopwatch. The duration of attacks ranged from 5 to 250 seconds, with an unweighted mean of 61 seconds. Both frequency and exact timing of attacks were assessed in four patients who filled in a time chart with the exact onset of 585 consecutive attacks. The majority of attacks occurred during daytime, with a bimodal distribution; ie, morning and afternoon/evening peaks, and only a few attacks were noted at night (ie, 1.2% of the attacks). The unweighted mean frequency of attacks was 28 per day (range 6 to 77). Duration and timing of attacks in SUNCT syndrome may be of help in the differential diagnosis versus other disorders with the same localization, especially first division trigeminal neuralgia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Trondheim (Norway) University Hospitals.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pareja
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kruszewski
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Caballero
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pamo
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sjaastad
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003027:Cluster Headache / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003229:Conjunctival Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013577:Syndrome; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors