The Use of Botulinum Toxin in the Management of Headache Disorders

Neurotoxins Acting at Synaptic Sites: A Brief Review on Mechanisms and Clinical Applications

Neurotoxins generally inhibit or promote the release of neurotransmitters or bind to receptors that are located in the pre- or post-synaptic membranes, thereby affecting physiological functions of synapses and affecting biological processes. With more and more research on the toxins of various origins, many neurotoxins are now widely used in clinical treatment and have demonstrated good therapeutic outcomes. This review summarizes the structural properties and potential pharmacological effects of neurotoxins acting on different components of the synapse, as well as their important clinical applications, thus could be a useful reference for researchers and clinicians in the study of neurotoxins.

The Development of Psychiatric Illness and Chemoprophylaxis of Botulinum Toxin in Migraine: A Narrative Review

A migraine is not just a headache. It is an extremely prevalent neurological condition marked by periodic episodes of unilateral headache, with more than 10 million cases yearly. Migraine often begins at the age of puberty. It substantially impacts the brain and, consequently, psychiatric behavior linked with frequent migraine attacks that may be moderate to severe in intensity. A crucial aspect of migraine variability is comorbidity with other neurological diseases, vascular diseases, and mental illnesses. Psychiatric disorders related to migraine include anxiety disorders, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, depression, etc. It is also estimated that people suffering from migraine are about five times more likely to develop depression than others without migraine. The stimulus for migraine is stress, lack of sleep, skipped meal or fasting, visual stimulation due to high intensity of light, auditory stimulus due to noise, and olfactory stimulus due to a pungent smell. A majority of patients suffer from migraine attacks triggered by noise, some due to visual stimulation, and a few due to perfumes or other odors that trigger their migraine. Diagnosis of this is primarily dependent on history taking and clinical evaluation. Migraine can be classified depending on whether an aura is present or absent. It can further be divided based on the frequency of headaches into episodic migraine or chronic migraine, which may be determined by the duration of the headache. The development of migraine is influenced by both genetics and the environment. It has a detrimental effect on children's quality of life. A comprehensive analysis of psychiatric illnesses in migraine contributes to early diagnosis and proper treatment of the disease. Also, having a healthy lifestyle (including exercise, a balanced diet, and enough sleep) seems to prevent and improve the condition. Headache in migraine is resistant to medical treatment but responds well to botulinum toxin. This review primarily focuses on the psychiatric issues like depression and anxiety that often accompany migraine. The article also highlights the effects of botulinum toxin on migraine.

Breakthroughs on the clinical management of headache and questions that need to be solved

Headache is a common refractory disorder among adults, especially in females, which can lower the quality of life in patients and increase medical costs. Nearly 90% of people have been affected by headache disorders during their lifetime. The severe situation of headaches has drawn the attention of researchers in recent years. Although the mechanism of headache has not been fully understood by us, there are many effective preventive drugs and treatments available. This review is aimed to sum up the progress in clinical trials of headaches in the past 5 years.

Comparing the Efficacy, Safety, and Superiority of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Monoclonal Antibodies and Botox in Preventing and Treating Migraines

Both calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and OnabotulinumtoxinA (botox) are used in the prevention of chronic migraines. However, it is not clear which is more effective overall. This review will compare the efficacy, side effects, cost-effectiveness, and other factors between CGRP mAbs and botox. We searched Pubmed and Google Scholar using the keywords migraines, CGRP mAbs, botox, efficacy, side effects, aura. All articles, including case-control/cohort studies, case series, case reports, randomized control trials, traditional/systematic reviews, were analyzed. CGRP mAbs and botox both reduce the frequency of migraines in patients. Patients have reported they decreased migraines' frequency and intensity in several studies after being given each medication. While CGRP mAbs are more recent medications, botox has been studied for more than a decade as a migraine preventative. Both drugs have minor short-term side effects, but some CGRP mAbs may cause persistent constipation too. CGRP mAbs are self-injected every month, and botox is physician-injected every three months, making it easier to stay compliant. While both medications are expensive, botox has a lower cost over time. Botox is more effective prophylaxis of migraines based on the articles that were reviewed. While both CGRP mAbs and botox are efficacious and tolerable, botox has been studied longer, has fewer side effects, is more cost-effective, and is easier to comply with.