SUNCT SYNDROME - FOREHEAD SWEATING PATTERN

The forehead sweating function has been assessed in SUNCT syndrome-a s hort-lasting, unilateral, neuralgiform headache syndrome with autonomi c phenomena on the symptomatic side (conjunctival injection, lacrimati on, etc.). In the three patients (of a total of six) who could be stud ied during paroxysms, increased evaporation was present on the symptom atic side of the forehead compared to the non-symptomatic side during attacks or to the symptomatic side between attacks. Basal sweating was generally within control limits, so long as the attack frequency was not so high as to influence the interictal level. During attacks preci pitated by eating chocolate or sour apple (in the case of one of the p atients), forehead sweating was also increased on the symptomatic side . The forehead sweating responses to heating and pilocarpine were with out any notable or systematic asymmetries. The forehead sweating patte rn in SUNCT syndrome may differ from the patterns in unilateral headac hes like cluster headache, on the one hand (in which there is generall y an asymmetry during heating and pilocarpine tests), and chronic paro xysmal hemicrania (CPH) and cervicogenic headache, on the other (where there is no systematic increase during attacks).