Therapeutic advances in neurological disorders
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Ther Adv Neurol Disord · May 2014
ReviewSphenopalatine ganglion stimulation for the treatment of cluster headache.
Cluster headache is a severe, debilitating disorder with pain that ranks among the most severe known to humans. Patients with cluster headaches have few therapeutic options and further, 10-20% develop drug-resistant attacks. The often brief duration of cluster attacks makes abortive therapy a challenge, and preventive medications are almost always provided to patients, but the side effects of these preventive medications can be significant. ⋯ In this study the majority of adverse events were related to the implantation procedure, which typically resolved or remained mild in nature at 3 months following the implant procedure. This and other studies highlight the promise of using SPG stimulation to treat the pain-associated cluster headache. SPG stimulation could be a safe and effective option for chronic cluster headache.