Findings from this cadaver study provide information relevant to the operative localization of potential compression points along the auriculotemporal nerve.

This anatomical study traced the lesser occipital nerve as it courses through the posterior scalp and mapped its potential decompression sites.

A n ever-increasing number of patients are prescribed antidepressant medications, most often by primary care physicians, 1 with approximately 12.7% of the adult population in the United States prescribed a daily antidepressant. 2 Antidepressants are used to treat a variety of conditions other than mood and anxiety disorders, such as chronic pain syndromes, tobacco use disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Common scenarios prompting discontinuation of an antidepressant include the following: • The condition for which the antidepressant was started is in remission for an appropriate maintenance period • The antidepressant does not achieve a satisfactory effect 3,4 • Intolerable side effects emerge • New drug-drug interactions occur due to additional medication the patient must take • The patient's prescription drug insurance coverage changes. In the case of insurance coverage, clinicians are encouraged to advocate for the patient whenever a coverage issue arises in order to avoid changing antidepressants. Additionally, patients may choose to stop an antidepressant of their own accord.Stopping antidepressants can be challenging because of the frequency of antidepressant discontinuation syndrome (ADS). Discontinuation symptoms occur commonly and vary in severity. 5 Symptoms will often surprise and frighten patients who are not forewarned, leading them to seek emergency medical care. Discontinuation symptoms include insomnia, fl u-like symptoms, mood disturbances, dizziness, paresthesias ("brain zaps"), and a broad array of other adverse effects. 6,7