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New Hope for
Migraine Sufferers
A recent
study suggests closure of naturally occurring heart defect may eliminate
migraine symptoms
SEATTLE, WA – FEBRUARY 15, 2005 –
Stroke patients who also
have a history of migraine headaches have reported that their migraines
stopped or were significantly reduced following a closure procedure of a
common heart defect, called Patent Foramen Ovale, according to a study
published in the February 15, 2005 issue of the Journal of the American
College of Cardiology.
Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) is a small hole in the heart. The presence
of this hole is normal during fetal development when the fetal blood
supply is being enriched and oxygenated by in the mother’s lungs. The
hole generally closes shortly after birth. However, in approximately
25% of the general population, they fail to close completely and become
a persistent PFO into adulthood. In these cases, this provides an
opportunity for venous blood that is returning to the heart, exhausted
of oxygen and other nutrients that it would be replenished from
circulating through the lungs, to cross over to the arterial side
prematurely (before circulating through the lungs) and then be pumped
back into the arterial circulation and the brain. This unfiltered venous
blood circulating into the brain is the suspected corollary that sparks
the migraine event.
The
study, lead by cardiologist Dr. Mark Reisman, showed that patients that
suffer from migraines with aura are twice as likely to have a PFO,
compared to the general population. During a two year period,
researchers examined 162 patients who had experienced unexplained
stroke-like symptoms, and after confirming the presence of a high-grade
PFO using the PMD100 transcranial ultrasound system, all patients
underwent transcatheter closure of the PFO. A one-year follow-up after
the PFO closure showed 56% (28/50) of patients had complete resolution
of migraine symptoms, and 14% (7/50) reported a significant reduction in
migraine frequency.
Spencer Technologies, a Seattle manufacturing company, developed the
PMD100 transcranial ultrasound system used in the study to assist in the
PFO diagnosis, as well as post-closure follow-up.
“The PMD100, bar none, is the simplest and most accurate device to
diagnose PFO,” stated Dr. Merrill Spencer, medical director for Spencer
Vascular and researcher in the PFO-migraine study. “It is the only
modality with a proven grading scale, which helps the physician
determine if a PFO can and should be closed.”
About Spencer
Technologies
Spencer Technologies was co-founded in 1992 by Dr. Merrill Spencer, a
pioneer in the development of diagnostic ultrasound. Spencer
Technologies is dedicated to preventing a variety of adverse
cardiovascular related events, including strokes, and significantly
improving healthcare through the development and use of non-invasive
ultrasound technologies for diagnosis, monitoring, and therapeutic
effects. Spencer Technologies is involved in all aspects of ultrasound
through clinical research, R & D, and manufacturing products.
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