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Background: The hypocretin receptor 2 (HCRTR2) G1246A polymorphism has been associated with the risk for cluster headache. Since the hypothalamic hypocretin/orexin system projects throughout the nervous system and affects multiple vegetative functions including generation of rhythmicity, vasomotion, autonomic symptoms as well as modulation of nociception, it may also be linked with migraine., Objective: We thus sought to evaluate whether the HCRTR2 G1246A polymorphism is associated with the risk for migraine., Methods: We prospectively established a cohort of 146 unrelated patients with migraine. The control group consisted of 279 healthy volunteers. We genotyped patients and controls for the HCRTR2 G1246A polymorphism and examined an association with presence or absence of migraine., Results: Genotype and allele frequencies were not significantly different between migraine patients and controls (genotype distribution: chi(2)= 4.13, 2 df, P= .13; allele distribution: chi(2)= 0.9, 1 df, P= .34)., Conclusion: Our study does not support a major contribution of the HCRTR2 G1246A polymorphism to the pathogenesis of migraine in contrast to its effects in cluster headache.

Contrary to the findings of Herbert et al. (Reports, 14 April 2006, p. 279), homozygous carriers of the C allele of the rs7566605 variant near the INSIG2 gene did not exhibit a significantly increased risk for obesity in a large population-based cross-sectional German study. A subgroup analysis, however, revealed that this allele significantly increased the risk for obesity in already overweight individuals.

Purpose: Physicians are obliged to inform all patients about the purpose and risks of therapeutic procedures, also drug treatment. However, although there may be some severe difficulties in informing psychiatric patients only very few data concerning this topic are available as yet. Thus, the aim of this query was to evaluate the patients' opinion of the information about medication., Methods: In this investigation 255 psychiatric inpatients were asked to complete a questionnaire., Results: 42 % of the patients complained about no or insufficient information of the expected effects of the prescribed medication and 62 % about no or insufficient information of side-effects. An association was found between the willingness to take the medication for a long time and insight in their psychic condition, but not with satisfying informing., Conclusion: This query showed the need of a more precise and satisfying information on medication and the need to develop strategies for a better information about side-effects.

Purpose: Physicians are obliged to inform all patients about the diagnosis and course of their illness. Often difficulties occur in informing patients with psychiatric disorders. Psychiatrists often fear complications (worsening of the symptomatology) by the disclosure of the diagnosis, which facilitate the informed consent on the treatment. Up to now only a few data concerning this topic are available., Methods: 255 psychiatric inpatients were given a short questionnaire about their illness, its course, and the wish for being informed about their psychiatric diagnosis and the prognosis of their psychiatric disorder., Results: Most patients want to get informations about their diagnosis (88.6%) and the prognosis of their psychiatric disorder (80.4%). Only 27.8% of the patients described a fear of the disclosure of diagnosis, and some more (35.3%) were afraid to hear the prognosis of their psychiatric disorder. However, this fear did not reduce their wish to become fully informed. 60% of the patients reported a satisfactory information of their diagnosis and were able to give the correct medical diagnosis. Furthermore, our results revealed that those patients not willing to be treated were informed about their diagnosis insufficiently., Conclusion: The informing about their diagnosis should play a more important role in the treatment of psychiatric patients.

In static magnetic fields as used in n.m.r. equipment for clinical diagnosis we found an increase of the beta-EEG power value at the right hemisphere when stimulating simultaneously the N. medianus of the left hand with a periodicity of 140 ms. By a sequence of 120 ms there was no change of the power in this frequency band. But when stimulating continuously and switching on and off the magnetic field, in the beta- and alpha-frequency bands the power values of the left hemisphere were increased by the influence of the magnetic field, not depending of the field vector. In contrast to these data, in the beta-band the values increased at the right hemisphere, and, additionally are influenced by the field vector. Artifacts in the single frequency bands by the stimulus frequency itself could be excluded. The increase of power value only by a 140 ms-periodicity might be a hint that a "Zeitgeber"-function is activated by this external frequency.