Effect of Nimodipine Treatment on the Clinical Course of Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome

Background: In reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS), nimodipine is currently used for the treatment, although no evidence is available to support its disease-modifying effect. In this prospective observational study, we investigated whether earlier nimodipine treatment can modify the...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Soohyun Cho, Mi Ji Lee, Chin-Sang Chung
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2019-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Neurology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fneur.2019.00644/full
_version_ 1818413975990173696
author Soohyun Cho
Mi Ji Lee
Mi Ji Lee
Chin-Sang Chung
Chin-Sang Chung
author_facet Soohyun Cho
Mi Ji Lee
Mi Ji Lee
Chin-Sang Chung
Chin-Sang Chung
author_sort Soohyun Cho
collection DOAJ
description Background: In reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS), nimodipine is currently used for the treatment, although no evidence is available to support its disease-modifying effect. In this prospective observational study, we investigated whether earlier nimodipine treatment can modify the clinical course of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome.Methods: We prospectively observed patients with angiogram-proven RCVS within 1 month after onset in the Samsung Medical Center between October 2015 and January 2018. Nimodipine was started in all patients immediately after diagnosis. Time from onset to the first nimodipine treatment was categorized as tertiles. We analyzed Kaplan-Meier curve and Cox proportional hazard model to test if the timing of nimodipine treatment can affect the clinical course of thunderclap headaches (TCHs) defined as the duration from onset to remission of thunderclap headaches.Results: In 82 patients included in this study, 71 (86.6%) patients showed remission of TCHs after starting nimodipine treatment. When categorized into earliest (<6 days), early (6–13 days), and late (≥14 days) treatment groups, earlier treatment was significantly associated with shorter clinical courses (median, 2 days [interquartile range 1–3] vs. 7 days [4–10] vs. 10 days [5–15]; log-rank p < 0.001). Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses also demonstrated an independent effect of earlier nimodipine treatment on earlier remission of TCHs (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.75 per 1-day delay in treatment; 95% CI, 0.693–0.802, p < 0.001).Conclusions: The clinical course of RCVS differed according to the timing of nimodipine treatment, suggesting the effect of earlier nimodipine treatment. In addition to preventing TCHs, beneficial effects of earlier nimodipine treatment on the progression of vasoconstriction and development of neurological complications should be investigated in future studies.
first_indexed 2024-12-14T11:11:45Z
format Article
id doaj.art-7432a65f3f0a4f0d85fadcf5b210039e
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1664-2295
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-14T11:11:45Z
publishDate 2019-06-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Neurology
spelling doaj.art-7432a65f3f0a4f0d85fadcf5b210039e2022-12-21T23:04:15ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neurology1664-22952019-06-011010.3389/fneur.2019.00644455330Effect of Nimodipine Treatment on the Clinical Course of Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction SyndromeSoohyun Cho0Mi Ji Lee1Mi Ji Lee2Chin-Sang Chung3Chin-Sang Chung4Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South KoreaDepartment of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South KoreaNeuroscience Center, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, South KoreaDepartment of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South KoreaNeuroscience Center, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, South KoreaBackground: In reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS), nimodipine is currently used for the treatment, although no evidence is available to support its disease-modifying effect. In this prospective observational study, we investigated whether earlier nimodipine treatment can modify the clinical course of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome.Methods: We prospectively observed patients with angiogram-proven RCVS within 1 month after onset in the Samsung Medical Center between October 2015 and January 2018. Nimodipine was started in all patients immediately after diagnosis. Time from onset to the first nimodipine treatment was categorized as tertiles. We analyzed Kaplan-Meier curve and Cox proportional hazard model to test if the timing of nimodipine treatment can affect the clinical course of thunderclap headaches (TCHs) defined as the duration from onset to remission of thunderclap headaches.Results: In 82 patients included in this study, 71 (86.6%) patients showed remission of TCHs after starting nimodipine treatment. When categorized into earliest (<6 days), early (6–13 days), and late (≥14 days) treatment groups, earlier treatment was significantly associated with shorter clinical courses (median, 2 days [interquartile range 1–3] vs. 7 days [4–10] vs. 10 days [5–15]; log-rank p < 0.001). Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses also demonstrated an independent effect of earlier nimodipine treatment on earlier remission of TCHs (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.75 per 1-day delay in treatment; 95% CI, 0.693–0.802, p < 0.001).Conclusions: The clinical course of RCVS differed according to the timing of nimodipine treatment, suggesting the effect of earlier nimodipine treatment. In addition to preventing TCHs, beneficial effects of earlier nimodipine treatment on the progression of vasoconstriction and development of neurological complications should be investigated in future studies.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fneur.2019.00644/fullreversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndromenimodipinethunderclap headacheclinical coursetreatment
spellingShingle Soohyun Cho
Mi Ji Lee
Mi Ji Lee
Chin-Sang Chung
Chin-Sang Chung
Effect of Nimodipine Treatment on the Clinical Course of Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome
Frontiers in Neurology
reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome
nimodipine
thunderclap headache
clinical course
treatment
title Effect of Nimodipine Treatment on the Clinical Course of Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome
title_full Effect of Nimodipine Treatment on the Clinical Course of Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome
title_fullStr Effect of Nimodipine Treatment on the Clinical Course of Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome
title_full_unstemmed Effect of Nimodipine Treatment on the Clinical Course of Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome
title_short Effect of Nimodipine Treatment on the Clinical Course of Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome
title_sort effect of nimodipine treatment on the clinical course of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome
topic reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome
nimodipine
thunderclap headache
clinical course
treatment
url https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fneur.2019.00644/full
work_keys_str_mv AT soohyuncho effectofnimodipinetreatmentontheclinicalcourseofreversiblecerebralvasoconstrictionsyndrome
AT mijilee effectofnimodipinetreatmentontheclinicalcourseofreversiblecerebralvasoconstrictionsyndrome
AT mijilee effectofnimodipinetreatmentontheclinicalcourseofreversiblecerebralvasoconstrictionsyndrome
AT chinsangchung effectofnimodipinetreatmentontheclinicalcourseofreversiblecerebralvasoconstrictionsyndrome
AT chinsangchung effectofnimodipinetreatmentontheclinicalcourseofreversiblecerebralvasoconstrictionsyndrome