Lack of effect of norepinephrine on cranial haemodynamics and headache in healthy volunteers.
Stress is a provoking factor for both tension-type headache and migraine attacks. In the present single-blind study, we investigated if stress induced by norepinephrine (NE) could elicit delayed headache in 10 healthy subjects and recorded the cranial arterial responses. NE at a dose of 0.025 microg kg(-1) min(-1) or placebo was infused for 90 min and the headache was followed for 14 h. Blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery (measured with transcranial Doppler) and diameters of the temporal artery and the radial artery (measured with ultrasound) were followed for 2 h. There were no changes in these arterial parameters after NE. In both treatment groups three subjects developed delayed headaches. Thus, stress by NE infusion did not result in delayed headache.
Lindholt
M
M
Danish Headache Centre, Department of Neurology, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Petersen
K A
KA
Tvedskov
J F
JF
Iversen
H K
HK
Olesen
J
J
Tfelt-Hansen
P
P
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology*; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000187:drug effects; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000187:drug effects; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013699:Temporal Arteries / Q000187:drug effects
D004837:Epinephrine