Cephalalgia : an international journal of headache
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We examined pericranial muscle tenderness and abnormalities in the second exteroceptive suppression period (ES2) of the temporalis muscle in chronic tension-type headache (CTTH; n = 245) utilizing a blind design and methods to standardize the elicitation and scoring of these variables. No ES2 variable differed significantly between CTTH sufferers and controls (all tests, P>0.05). We found no evidence that CTTH sufferers with daily or near daily headaches, a mood or an anxiety disorder, or high levels of disability exhibit abnormal ES2 responses (all tests, P>0.05). ⋯ Elevated pericranial muscle tenderness was associated with a comorbid anxiety disorder. These findings provide further evidence of pericranial hyperalgesia in CTTH and suggest this phenomenon deserves further study. Basic research that better elucidates the biological significance of the ES2 response and the factors that influence ES2 assessments appears necessary before this measure can be of use in clinical research.
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The nociceptive flexion reflex (NFR) of the lower limbs (RIII reflex) was examined bilaterally in 54 cluster headache (CH) patients suffering from episodic CH (ECH) and chronic CH (CCH). Fifteen ECH patients were examined in both remission and active phases. ⋯ The lower Tr and Tp on the symptomatic side is in keeping with previous observations exploring pain mechanisms using different methods (i.e. corneal reflex, pain pressure threshold). On the whole, these data tie in with the view of an impairment of the pain control system, which parallels the periodicity of the disorder in the episodic form.
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The widely used criteria of the IHS to define migraine without aura in children are highly specific but show poor sensitivity, with a large percentage of headaches being classified as migrainous disorder (MD). The objective of this study was to assess how many headache patients in a series of children met the diagnostic criteria of the IHS for migraine without aura or MD and to determine the changes required to convert the greatest number of MD into migraine without aura, without affecting classification of the remaining headache types. A prospective study was undertaken of 131 patients under 15 years old referred to our centre for headache. ⋯ When the three modified criteria were applied, three tension headaches and one unclassifiable headache changed category. When only reduced duration and bifrontal location were applied, none of the headaches other than MD changed category. Application of two modifications to the IHS criteria--reduction in duration of headache to 1 h and acceptance of bifrontal location--increased sensitivity without reducing specificity in classifying migraine without aura in children.
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In this follow-up study in children and adolescents with recurrent headaches classified as migrainous disorder (IHS 1.7) and headache of the tension-type not fulfilling the criteria (IHS 2.3), 28.6% were headache-free and 71.4% still had headaches 2-5 years after the first examination. The majority remained in the same one-digit IHS diagnosis, whereas 20% changed from migraine to tension-type headache or vice versa. The number of IHS criteria fulfilled increased significantly from the first to the second examination. ⋯ By reducing the minimum headache duration to 1 h, 11 of 58 patients could be diagnosed as migraine without aura. There was a remarkable overlap in the diagnostic criteria for migraine without aura and tension-type headache. In IHS 1.7 and IHS 2.3 this overlap exceeded 80%, with a trend to decrease at the second examination.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Amitriptyline reduces myofascial tenderness in patients with chronic tension-type headache.
The tricyclic anti-depressant amitriptyline is widely used in the treatment of chronic tension-type headache. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the analgesic effect is caused by a reduction of muscle pain or by a general reduction of pain sensitivity. Thirty-three non-depressed patients with chronic tension-type headache were treated with amitriptyline 75 mg/day and with the highly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor citalopram 20 mg/day in a 32-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, three-way crossover study. ⋯ Citalopram had no significant effect on any of the examined parameters. These findings indicate that amitriptyline elicits its analgesic effect in chronic myofascial pain by reducing the transmission of painful stimuli from myofascial tissues rather than by reducing overall pain sensitivity. We suggest that this effect is caused by a segmental reduction of central sensitization in combination with a peripheral anti-nociceptive action.