In a large-scale study of headache epidemiology in Vågå, Norway, 1838 adult parishioners(18--65 years of age) were examined, and this represents 88.6% of the target group. Jabs and jolts syndrome/idiopathic stabbing headache (ISH) was verified in 35.2% of the questioned parishioners. This prevalence is much higher than previously observed ones. There were clearly more females than males, the female/male ratio being 1.49, as compared to a ratio of 1.06 in the study cohort (P-value: < 0.0001, chi(2) test). The ratio, 1.49, also differs clearly from a previously observed one: 6.6 (P-value = 0.0003, Fisher's exact test). Control studies included blinded re-check of 100 work-ups, with complete concurrence (kappa-value of 1.00 and blinded re-check of 41 individuals (kapp value of 0.841). Jabs and jolts/ISH are frequent and almost the sole shortlasting (generally < 3 s duration) cephalic paroxysms.

The aim of this prospective study was to assess the repeatability of measurement of fetal nuchal translucency thickness at 10-14 weeks' gestation. The nuchal translucency was measured by two of four operators in 200 pregnant women attending the Harris Birthright Research Centre for Fetal Medicine at 10-14 weeks' gestation. To assess repeatability of different components of variability, six measurements of nuchal translucency were made on each fetus, with a total of 1200 measurements. The data of this study demonstrate that 95% of the time the intraobserver, interobserver and caliper placement repeatability of measuring fetal nuchal translucency were less than 0.54 mm, 0.62 mm and 0.58 mm, respectively. In addition, the repeatability was unrelated to the size of the nuchal translucency. The findings of this study demonstrate that, when the nuchal translucency thickness is measured by well-trained operators, the measurement is highly reproducible.

Cephalic jabs are generally solitary paroxysms, with rather long intervals between attacks. Jabs do not only occur in the trigeminal area. Occasionally vocalization and more frequently jolts accompany the paroxysm.

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