Neurophysiological characteristics of supra-segmental structures in patients with arterial hypertension and chronic headaches

Abstract

Neurophysiological characteristics of chronic headaches in patientswith arterial hypertension were studied using brainstem auditoryevoked potentials, visual evoked potentials and blink reflex. Inpatients with arterial hypertension suffering from chronicheadaches, signs of brainstem dysfunction were revealed, which wasaccompanied by impairments of ascending afferent input and dysfunctionof upper structures (thalamus and cortex), includingimpairment of functioning of the antinociceptive system of supraspinallevel. These abnormalities result in the formation of a specificclinical pattern in the studied group of patients.

Keywords

• arterial hypertension
• chronic headaches
• evoked potentials (ep)
• brainstem auditory ep
• visual ep on flash stimulation
• blink reflex
• brainstem dysfunction