The cervical nerves may play a significant role in primary headache disorders. We reviewed the patterns of pain evoked by stimulation of the first 3 cervical nerves (C1-C3) in 10 patients with chronic occipital pain, 6 of whom also had migraine. Stimulation at the C1 level evoked periorbital and frontal pain in 6 of 6 patients with migraine but evoked occipital or cervical pain in those without migraine. C2 and C3 stimulation resulted in occipital or cervical pain in all patients. The C1 nerve may have an important sensory function in headache disorders that have orbital and frontal pain as a prominent feature.

In the world of sports, soccer is unique because of the purposeful use of the unprotected head for controlling and advancing the ball. This skill obviously places the player at risk of head injury and the game does carry some risk. Head injury can be a result of contact of the head with another head (or other body parts), ground, goal post, other unknown objects or even the ball. Such impacts can lead to contusions, fractures, eye injuries, concussions or even, in rare cases, death. Coaches, players, parents and physicians are rightly concerned about the risk of head injury in soccer. Current research shows that selected soccer players have some degree of cognitive dysfunction. It is important to determine the reasons behind such deficits. Purposeful heading has been blamed, but a closer look at the studies that focus on heading has revealed methodological concerns that question the validity of blaming purposeful heading of the ball. The player’s history and age (did they play when the ball was leather and could absorb significant amounts of water), alcohol intake, drug intake, learning disabilities, concussion definition and control group use/composition are all factors that cloud the ability to blame purposeful heading. What does seem clear is that a player’s history of concussive episodes is a more likely explanation for cognitive deficits. While it is likely that the subconcussive impact of purposeful heading is a doubtful factor in the noted deficits, it is unknown whether multiple subconcussive impacts might have some lingering effects. In addition, it is unknown whether the noted deficits have any affect on daily life. Proper instruction in the technique is critical because if the ball contacts an unprepared head (as in accidental head-ball contacts), the potential for serious injury is possible. To further our understanding of the relationship of heading, head injury and cognitive deficits, we need to: learn more about the actual impact of a ball on the head, verify the exposure to heading at all ages and competitive levels, determine stable estimates of concussive injury rates across the soccer spectrum, conduct prospective longitudinal studies on soccer players focusing on exposure, injury and cognition, and determine the minimum safe age to begin instruction on the skill of heading. Only then will we be able to speak with some authority on the issue of heading and head injuries in soccer.

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Green, G. A. FACSM; Jordan, S. E.; Galanty, H. L.; Mandelbaum, B. R.; Jabour, B. A. Author Information

In elderly patients presenting to an ambulatory practice with complaints of cognitive disturbance, early dementia must be differentiated from depression. The present paper describes the application of standard electroencephalography and evoked potential testing (EEG/EP) and computerized electroencephalography with evoked potential mapping (CEEG/EPM) in the analysis of 64 elderly patients complaining of cognitive disturbance. Although previous reports have claimed a sensitivity level of up to 80% for EEG in demented patients, it appears that a lower sensitivity (37% for EEG alone and 61% for EEG/EP) may be expected at the time of early presentation according to the present study. No EEG/EP abnormalities were detected in patients with depression. In demented patients, CEEG/EPM was abnormal in 85% (46 of 54) of cases compared to 10% (1 of 10) of cases with depression. Specific information was obtained from EEG/EP studies that helped differentiate the various causes of dementia in three cases. In CEEG/EPM studies, a pattern of relative suppression of alpha activity or suppressed auditory P300 amplitude in the posterior parietal regions was observed in 11 or 23 (48%) patients with Alzheimer's disease and 2 of 31 (6%) patients with other forms of dementia. None of the depressed patients demonstrated such changes. Based on the present study, it appears that computerized techniques may hold promise as an adjunct to standard EEG evaluation of patients with mild cognitive change in whom diagnosis of dementia or depression is in doubt. Although standard EEG rarely demonstrates characteristic changes that may help differentiate causes of dementia, CEEG/EPM appears to demonstrate, on occasion, abnormalities in the posterior temporal and parietal regions in patients with a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease and rarely in other forms of dementia or depression.