The effects of dopamine on arteries are different depending on the dose, route of administration, and receptor population. Its administration can cause vasodilation by stimulation of dopaminergic receptors, vasoconstriction by stimulation of alpha-adrenergic and serotonergic receptors, and even spasm of cerebral arteries when given intracisternally in dogs. The ability of dopamine to provoke co...

The Relationship of the Neurological Status and A ngiographical Evidence of Spasm to Prognosis in Patients With Ruptured Intracranial Saccular Aneurysms • A retrospective analysis of 79 patients admitted to the Neurosurgery Department, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark, from January, 1969, through May, 1971, was performed. The clinical grading was performed according to a modification of the ...

To elucidate the pathogenic contribution of a potent vasoconstrictor, endothelin-1, to coronary artery spasm, we provoked spasm with intracoronary administration of acetylcholine or ergonovine and performed sensitive immunoassays of plasma levels of endothelin-1 and atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) in the peripheral vein and coronary sinus of patients with a tentative diagnosis of vasospastic an...

Hemifacial spasm can be caused by vascular compression of the facial nerve at the root exit zone from the brainstem. Several case reports suggest that narrowing of the cerebellopontine angle cistern caused by Paget's disease, abnormal elevation of the petrous bone caused by hyperplasia, or contralateral acoustic neurinoma may increase the chance of vascular compression of the facial nerve. Ther...

Although the cause of sudden unexplained death in epilepsy patients (SUDEP) is unknown, evidence implicates respiratory compromise. Most cases occur while the patient is in bed and unsupervised. We investigated the efficacy of the Medpage bed seizure monitor to detect generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Patients with a history of tonic-clonic seizures were enrolled on a video-EEG unit. The MP5 d...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Problems with pediatric airways are among the greatest challenges an anesthesiologist can face. Laryngeal spasm, which is twice or three times more frequent in the pediatric population, is paramount. The objective of this work was to report the treatment of laryngeal spasm applying digital pressure on a specific area behind the ear lobe. The technique is old, easy, but...

BACKGROUND Coronary spasm plays an important role in the pathogenesis of ischemic heart diseases in general. However, the precise mechanism(s) responsible for coronary spasm remains to be elucidated, and we examined the molecular genetics of coronary spasm. METHODS AND RESULTS We searched for the possible mutations in the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene in patients with coronary...

We established the incidence of coronary artery spasm provoked by 0.4 mg of methergine in 1089 consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography. The test was performed after routine coronary arteriography. Subjects included patients with angina, both typical and atypical, patients who had recently had myocardial infarction and patients with either valvular disease or congestive cardiomyopat...

BACKGROUND The potential of multislice CT (MSCT) to predict coronary spasm has not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the morphological features observed on MSCT at the site of ergonovine-induced epicardial spasm could be used as diagnostic criteria for coronary spasm. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 296 plaques in 199 patients with clinically suspected coronary ...

Background: Infantile spasm is a type of pediatric seizure often associated with a negative prognosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in categorization and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with infantile spasm. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study of the clinical charts and MRI findings of infants diagnosed with infantile spasm ...