• P J Goadsby and A S Cohen.
• Headache Group, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA. goadsbyp@neurology.ucsf.edu
• Schmerz. 2008 Feb 1; 22 Suppl 1: 7-10.

AbstractTrigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TACs) are a group of primary headache disorders, which are characterized by strictly unilateral pain, together with ipsilateral cranial autonomic symptoms. TACs include cluster headache (CH), paroxysmal hemicrania (PH) and short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT syndrome). These diseases all have one thing in common: an activation of trigeminal nociceptive afferentia with a reflex-like activation of cranial autonomic efferentia via the facial nerve. TACs show differences not only in the length and frequency of attacks but also in the response to drug treatment. It is important to recognize and differentiate between these syndromes because they react very well, but very selectively to therapy.

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