The journal of headache and pain
-
Chronic migraine is a disabling condition, with limited treatment options. We conducted an open label, single arm, prospective clinical trial, to assess the efficacy and safety of onabotulinumtoxin-A in Greek patients with chronic migraine. Since recent evidence suggests that a meaningful clinical response may be delayed until after a third onabotulinumtoxin-A administration, we aimed at assessing outcomes at this time point. ⋯ Our results strongly support the use of onabotulinumtoxin-A for the prophylaxis of CM, as this intervention proved effective, safe and well tolerated in our cohort of Greek patients.
-
The objective was to compare and correlate disability, pain intensity, the impact of headache on daily life and the fear of movement between subgroups of patients with chronic temporomandibular disorder (TMD). ⋯ Mixed chronic pain patients show greater craniomandibular and neck disability than patients diagnosed with chronic JP or MP. Neck disability predicted the variance of craniofacial pain and disability for patients with MP. Neck disability and kinesiophobia predicted the variance of craniofacial pain and disability for those with chronic mixed pain.
-
The premonitory stage of migraine attacks, when symptomatology outside of pain can manifest hours to days before the onset of the headache, is well recognised. Such symptoms have been reported in adults in a number of studies, and have value in predicting an impending headache. These symptoms have not been extensively studied in children. We aimed to characterise which, if any, of these symptoms are reported in children seen within a Specialist Headache Service. ⋯ Premonitory symptoms associated with migraine are reported in children as young as 18 months, with an overall clinical phenotype comparable to adults. Better documentation of this stage will aid parents and clinicians to better understand the phenotype of attacks, better recognise migraine and thus initiate appropriate management. Larger studies with a broader base are warranted to understand the extent and implications of these symptoms for childhood and adolescent migraine.
-
Migraineurs are highly sensitive to the nitric oxide donor glyceryl trinitrate which triggers attacks in many sufferers. In animal studies, glyceryl trinitrate increases neuronal activity in the trigeminovascular pathway and elevates neurotransmitter levels in the brainstem. Many migraineurs also display alterations in blink reflexes, known to involve brainstem circuits. We investigated the effect of GTN on evoked blinks in the anaesthetised rat to determine whether such reflexes may prove useful as the basis for a novel animal model to evaluate potential anti-migraine therapeutic agents. ⋯ These results show that simple skin surface measurements of evoked electromyographic activity in the rat can reliably detect the evoked blink reflex that can be potentiated by nitric oxide donors. This novel model may be an effective tool for evaluating putative anti-migraine therapeutic agents.
-
Review Meta Analysis
Therapeutic efficacy and safety of Botulinum Toxin A Therapy in Trigeminal Neuralgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Several different interventions have been examined to alleviate pain and reduce frequency of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) paroxysms. However, some patients continue to have persistent or recurrent painful attacks. Using a systematic review and meta-analysis approach, we aimed to synthesize evidence from published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding safety and efficacy of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) as a possible emerging choice of treatment for TN. ⋯ Despite limited data, our results suggest that BTX-A may be an effective and safe treatment option for patients with TN. Further larger and well-designed RCTs are encouraged to translate these findings into better clinical outcome and better quality of life for TN patients.