Photophobia in primary headaches
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Published on: June 2, 2014
1Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania & Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Background:
Photophobia is a debilitating feature of many headache disorders.
Overview:
Clinical and preclinical research has identified several potential pathways involved in enhanced light sensitivity. Some of these structures include trigeminal afferents in the eye, second-order neurons in the trigeminal nucleus caudalis, third-order neurons in the posterior thalamus, modulatory neurons in the hypothalamus, and fourth-order neurons in the visual and somatosensory cortices. It is unclear to what degree each site plays a role in establishing the different temporal patterns of photophobia across different disorders. Peptides such as calcitonin gene-related peptide and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide may play a role in photophobia at multiple levels of the visual and trigeminal pathways.
Conclusion:
While our understanding of photophobia has greatly improved in the last decade, there are still unanswered questions. These answers will help us develop new therapies to provide relief to patients with primary headache disorders.
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Acute Pharyngitis
Acute pharyngitis is the inflammation of the back of the throat (pharynx), commonly resulting in a sore throat. It is a frequently encountered condition that prompts individuals to seek medical advice.
Classification
Acute pharyngitis can be categorized based on its underlying cause:
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