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Going to the USA—a US headache center from an Italian perspective

Nature Reviews Neurology volume 7, pages 710–712 (2011)Cite this article

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Abstract

During a period I spent at the UCSF Headache Center in the USA, I noted striking differences between the US health-care system and the Italian one in which I was trained. Here, I aim to outline some of these differences from a scientific—and, more importantly, from a sociocultural—point of view. Awareness of these aspects may help us to better understand different approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases, including headache.

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References

  1. Headache Classification Subcommittee of the International Headache Society. The International Classification of Headache Disorders: 2nd edition. Cephalalgia 24 (Suppl. 1), 9–160 (2004).

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Acknowledgements

I am grateful to Peter Goadsby who allowed me join his group, gave me precious teaching and reviewed this article, and to the Head of the Novara Department of Neurology, Francesco Monaco, who introduced me to the world of neurology and gave me the opportunity to spend this period abroad. I also want to thank Neil Raskin for sharing his incredible experience with me, and Till Sprenger and Miryam Carecchio who have helped me with important advice for the composition of this article. This article is dedicated to Diego Bettucci, past Head of the Novara Headache Center, who died in 2008. A man of incredible scientific and humanistic culture, he transferred to me the passion for studying headaches and for healing patients with headache.

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  1. Headache Center—Department of Neurology, University of Eastern Piedmont “A. Avogadro” and “Maggiore della Carità” Hospital, C.so Mazzini 18, Novara, 28100, Italy

    Michele Viana

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  1. Michele Viana
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Viana, M. Going to the USA—a US headache center from an Italian perspective. Nat Rev Neurol 7, 710–712 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2011.174

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