Pathophysiology of migraine chronification

Intranasal administration of recombinant human BDNF as a potential therapy for some primary headaches

BACKGROUND

In addition to its critical role in neurogenesis, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) modulates pain and depressive behaviors.

METHODS

In a translational perspective, we tested the anti-migraine activity of highly purified and characterized recombinant human BDNF (rhBDNF) in an animal model of cephalic pain based on the chronic and intermittent NTG administration (five total injections over nine days), used to mimic recurrence of attacks over a given period. To achieve this, we assessed the effects of two doses of rhBDNF (40 and 80 µg/kg) administered intranasally to adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, on trigeminal hyperalgesia (by orofacial formalin test), gene expression (by rt-PCR) of neuropeptides and inflammatory cytokines in specific areas of the brain related to migraine pain. Serum levels of CGRP, PACAP, and VIP (by ELISA) were also evaluated. The effects of rhBDNF were compared with those of sumatriptan (5 mg/kg i.p), administered 1 h before the last NTG administration.

RESULTS

Both doses of rhBDNF significantly reduced NTG-induced nocifensive behavior in Phase II of the orofacial formalin test. The anti-hyperalgesic effect of intranasal high-dose rhBDNF administration in the NTG-treated animals was associated with a significant modulation of mRNA levels of neuropeptides (CGRP, PACAP, VIP) and cytokines (IL-1beta, IL-10) in the trigeminal ganglion, medulla-pons, and hypothalamic area. Of note, the effects of rhBNDF treatment were comparable to those induced by the administration of sumatriptan. rhBDNF administration at both doses significantly reduced serum levels of PACAP, while the higher dose also significantly reduced serum levels of VIP.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that intranasal rhBDNF has the potential to be a safe, non-invasive and effective therapeutic approach for the treatment of primary headache, particularly migraine.

Instrumental assessment of pressure pain threshold over trigeminal and extra-trigeminal area in people with episodic and chronic migraine: a cross-sectional observational study

BACKGROUND

Central and peripheral sensitization are characterized by widespread hyperalgesia that is manifested by larger pain extent area and reduction in pressure pain threshold (PPT). PPT decreases in patients with migraine not only over the trigeminal cervical complex but also throughout the body.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was adopted to assess the local and widespread hyperalgesia in chronic and episodic migraine patients respect to healthy controls. The guidelines of Andersen's were used to evaluate the PPT bilaterally over 3 muscles in the trigemino-cervical complex (temporalis, sub-occipitalis, trapezius) and over 1 muscle far from this area (tensor fasciae latae).

RESULTS

Thirty subjects with episodic migraine (35.8 ± 2.82 years), 30 with chronic migraine (53.03 ± 19.79 years), and 30 healthy controls (29.06 ± 14.03 years) were enrolled. The interaction effect was present for the trapezius muscle with a significant difference between the right and the left side in episodic group (p = 0.003). A group effect was highlighted in all four muscles analyzed such as suboccipital (p < 0.001), temporalis (p > 0.001), trapezius (p < 0.001), and TFL (p < 0.001). PPT was usually higher in the control group than in the episodic group which in turn was characterized by higher PPT values than the chronic group.

CONCLUSIONS

People with chronic and episodic migraine presented lower PPT than healthy controls both in the trigeminal and in the extra-trigeminal area. People with chronic migraine presented lower PPT than episodic migraine only in the trigeminal area. Temporalis and sub-occipitalis are the most sensitive muscles in people with chronic and episodic migraine.

Association between migraine and the risk of vascular dementia: A nationwide longitudinal study in South Korea

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to examine the potential association between migraine and vascular dementia (VaD) using a nationwide population database.

BACKGROUND

Migraine and VaD showed similar structural and functional changes in pathophysiology process and shared common risk factors, However, whether migraine prevalence increases VaD incidence remains controversial.

METHODS

This retrospective population-based cohort study used the medical records from the Korean National Health Insurance System database. Migraine (G43) was defined by using the Tenth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases code. More than two migraine diagnoses at least 3 months apart were defined as "chronic migraine". Cox proportional hazards model estimated hazard ratios (HRs) of VaD for group comparisons.

RESULTS

We included 212,836 patients with migraine and 5,863,348 individuals without migraine. During 10 years of follow-up, 3,914 (1.8%) and 60,258 (1.0%) patients with and without migraine, respectively, were newly diagnosed with VaD. After adjustment, patients with migraine showed a 1.21-fold higher risk of VaD than those without migraine (HR = 1.21; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17-1.25). Patients with chronic migraine showed a higher cumulative incidence of VaD than those with episodic migraine. The adjusted HR for the VaD incidence with migraine was higher in: (1) patients aged <65 years; (2) women; (3) patients without hypertension, diabetes, or atrial fibrillation; and (4) non-smokers.

CONCLUSION

Migraine is associated with an increased risk of VaD, particularly in chronic migraine patients. Incidence of VaD in the setting of migraine may have distinct pathophysiology from that of VaD with traditional cardiovascular risks.

The association between migraine and Parkinson's disease: a nationwide cohort study

OBJECTIVES

Clinical studies have suggested an association between migraine and the occurrence of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, it is unknown whether migraine affects PD risk. We aimed to investigate the incidence of PD in patients with migraine and to determine the risk factors affecting the association between migraine and PD incidence.

METHODS

Using the Korean National Health Insurance System database (2002-2019), we enrolled all Koreans aged ≥40 years who participated in the national health screening program in 2009. International Classification of Diseases (10th revision) diagnostic codes and Rare Incurable Diseases System diagnostic codes were used to define patients with migraine (within 12 months of enrollment) and newly diagnosed PD.

RESULTS

We included 214,193 patients with migraine and 5,879,711 individuals without migraine. During 9.1 years of follow-up (55,435,626 person-years), 1,973 (0.92%) and 30,664 (0.52%) individuals with and without migraine, respectively, were newly diagnosed with PD. Following covariate adjustment, patients with migraine showed a 1.35-fold higher PD risk than individuals without migraine. The incidence of PD was not significantly different between patients with migraine with aura and those without aura. In males with migraine, underlying dyslipidemia increased the risk of PD (p=0.012). In contrast, among females with migraine, younger age (<65 years) increased the risk of PD (p=0.038).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with migraine were more likely to develop PD than individuals without migraine. Preventive management of underlying comorbidities and chronic migraine may affect the incidence of PD in these patients. Future prospective randomized clinical trials are warranted to clarify this association.

Excitation-Inhibition Imbalance in Migraine: From Neurotransmitters to Brain Oscillations

Migraine is among the most common and debilitating neurological disorders typically affecting people of working age. It is characterised by a unilateral, pulsating headache often associated with severe pain. Despite the intensive research, there is still little understanding of the pathophysiology of migraine. At the electrophysiological level, altered oscillatory parameters have been reported within the alpha and gamma bands. At the molecular level, altered glutamate and GABA concentrations have been reported. However, there has been little cross-talk between these lines of research. Thus, the relationship between oscillatory activity and neurotransmitter concentrations remains to be empirically traced. Importantly, how these indices link back to altered sensory processing has to be clearly established as yet. Accordingly, pharmacologic treatments have been mostly symptom-based, and yet sometimes proving ineffective in resolving pain or related issues. This review provides an integrative theoretical framework of excitation-inhibition imbalance for the understanding of current evidence and to address outstanding questions concerning the pathophysiology of migraine. We propose the use of computational modelling for the rigorous formulation of testable hypotheses on mechanisms of homeostatic imbalance and for the development of mechanism-based pharmacological treatments and neurostimulation interventions.

Effects and side effects of migraine prophylaxis in children

BACKGROUND

Migraine is the primary cause of headache in children. Most patients can be treated with lifestyle changes and acute attack prophylaxis. Prophylaxis should be considered when symptoms cause frequent school absenteeism, poor quality of life, recurring emergency room visits, and frequent analgesic use. We aimed to compare the efficacy and side effects of drugs used in migraine prophylaxis, chosen according to the clinical and/or demographic characteristics of the patients.

METHODS

One hundred eighty-six patients aged 6-18 years were evaluated and who were diagnosed with migraine according to The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition beta version (ICH-3β). Propranolol, topiramate, flunarizine, and cyproheptadine were given as prophylactic treatment. The Pediatric Migraine Disability Assessment Score (PedMIDAS) score, severity, duration, and frequency of the headache attacks were evaluated from the medical records and pre- and post-treatment values were compared.

RESULTS

The median age of the patients was 14 years (range, 6-18 years) and the mean duration of headache was 29.6 ± 21.02 months. The mean PedMIDAS score was 29.9 ± 21.2 before and 14.9 ± 12.5 after treatment. Most reduction in the frequency of attacks was observed in the topiramate group. All four drugs significantly reduced the PedMIDAS score. The most common side effect was palpitations.

CONCLUSIONS

Significant improvement was found in PedMIDAS scores in all drug groups. Topiramate was found to be the most effective drug in reducing the frequency of attacks. All four drugs in this study may be utilized for migraine prophylaxis in terms of effectiveness and safety.

Instrumental assessment of physiotherapy and onabolulinumtoxin-A on cervical and headache parameters in chronic migraine

Introduction

The purpose of the present study is to compare the effect of the physiotherapy to onabolulinumtoxin-A, and their combination, in relation to cervical and headache parameters in patients with chronic migraine.

Methods

This is an observational cohort study conducted by a headache center and a physiotherapy degree course on 30 patients with chronic migraine. The patients were distributed in three groups of treatments for three months: onabolulinumtoxin-A only, physiotherapy only, and onabolulinumtoxin-A plus physiotherapy. The patients were evaluated, before and after each treatment, using the following: the postural assessment software SAPO for the forward head posture; the CROM goniometer for the cervical range of motion; the Migraine Disability Assessment Score for headache parameters.

Results

After 3 months of each treatment, the scores obtained for the headache-related disability and the frequency of migraine decreased significantly for all groups, but the pain intensity scores changed significantly only in the onabolulinumtoxin-A (p = 0.01) and in the onabolulinumtoxin-A plus physiotherapy groups (p = 0.007). On the other hand, the forward head posture was reduced significantly in the physiotherapy (p = 0.002) and in the onabolulinumtoxin-A plus physiotherapy groups (p = 0.003). The cervical range of motion increased significantly in certain directions in the physiotherapy group and in the onabolulinumtoxin-A plus physiotherapy groups.

Conclusions

The physiotherapy improved the cervical parameters. The onabolulinumtoxin-A decreased pain intensity. As a consequence, it can be said that the combined treatment was more useful than a mono-therapy alone. From our results, it can be concluded that onabolulinumtoxin-A plus physiotherapy could be a good option in the management of chronic migraine.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10072-021-05491-w.

Migraine and cardiovascular risk factors: A clinic-based study

OBJECTIVE

The relation between migraine and vascular risk factors is an unclear issue. Furthermore, the reasons for chronification are still unknown. Probably, the age-related risk and other factors leading to migraine progression will also change in the future. Under these questions, we aimed to investigate whether or not there is a specific association with vascular risk factors between several age groups and subtypes of migraine and also in their families.

METHODS

A dataset (the Turkish Headache Database) from four tertiary headache centres in Turkey was used. This database included headache-defining features according to ICHD criteria based on face-to-face interviews and examinations by a Neurologist. Vascular risk factors of migraine without aura (MwoA), migraine with aura (MwA) and chronic migraine (CM) were compared between three age groups (under 30 years, 30-50 years and over 50 years) and in first-degree relatives of the patients. Our study included 2712 patients comprising 1868 (68.9 %), 246 (9.1 %) and 598 (22.1 %) subjects with MwoA, MwA and CH, respectively.

RESULTS

This study showed that both the patients and the first-degree relatives were more frequently associated with vascular risk factors in CM than episodic MwA and MwoA. MwoA showed a weaker association with vascular risk factors than MwA and CM.

CONCLUSION

Chronic migraine was associated with vascular risk factors at all ages and first-degree relatives as well. Vascular risk factors should be investigated with greater focus on chronic migraine.

Impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on patients with migraine: a web-based survey study

Background

Since the declaration COVID-19 as a pandemic, healthcare systems around the world have faced a huge challenge in managing patients with chronic diseases. Patients with migraine were specifically vulnerable to inadequate medical care. We aimed to investigate the “real-world” impact of COVID-19 pandemic on migraine patients, and to identify risk factors for poor outcome.

Methods

We administered an online, self-reported survey that included demographic, migraine-related, COVID-19-specific and overall psychosocial variables between July 15 and July 30, 2020. We recruited a sample of patients with migraine from headache clinic registry and via social media to complete an anonymous survey. Outcomes included demographic variables, change in migraine frequency and severity during the lockdown period, communication with treating physician, compliance to migraine treatment, difficulty in getting medications, medication overuse, symptoms of anxiety and/or depression, sleep and eating habits disturbance, screen time exposure, work during pandemic, use of traditional medicine, effect of Botox injection cancellation, and overall worries and concerns during pandemic.

Results

A total of 1018 patients completed the survey. Of the respondents, 859 (84.3%) were females; 733 (71.9%) were aged 20 to 40 years, 630 (61.8%) were married, and 466 (45.7%) reported working during the pandemic.

In comparison to pre-pandemic period, 607 respondents (59.6%) reported increase in migraine frequency, 163 (16%) reported decrease in frequency, and 105 (10.3%) transformed to chronic migraine. Severity was reported to increase by 653 (64.1%) respondents. The majority of respondents; 626 (61.5%) did not communicate with their neurologists, 477 (46.9%) reported compliance to treatment, and 597 (58.7%) reported overuse of analgesics. Botox injections cancellation had a negative impact on 150 respondents (66.1%) from those receiving it. Forty-one respondents (4%) were infected with COVID-19; 26 (63.4%) reported worsening of their headaches amid infection period. Sleep disturbance was reported by 794 (78.1%) of respondents, and 809 (79.5%) reported having symptoms of anxiety and/or depression.

Conclusions and relevance

COVID-19 pandemic had an overall negative impact on patients with migraine. Several risk factors for poor outcome were identified. Long-term strategies should be validated and implemented to deliver quality care for patients with migraine, with emphasis on psychosocial well-being.

The Ambiguous Role of Caffeine in Migraine Headache: From Trigger to Treatment

Migraine is a chronic disorder, and caffeine has been linked with migraine for many years, on the one hand as a trigger, and on the other hand as a cure. As most of the population, including migraineurs, consume a considerable amount of caffeine daily, a question arises as to whether it influences their headaches. Indeed, drinking coffee before a migraine attack may not be a real headache trigger, but a consequence of premonitory symptoms, including yawning, diminished energy levels, and sleepiness that may herald a headache. Here, we aim to summarize the available evidence on the relationship between caffeine and migraines. Articles concerning this topic published up to June 2020 were retrieved by searching clinical databases, and all types of studies were included. We identified 21 studies investigating the prevalence of caffeine/caffeine withdrawal as a migraine trigger and 7 studies evaluating caffeine in acute migraine treatment. Among them, in 17 studies, caffeine/caffeine withdrawal was found to be a migraine trigger in a small percentage of participants (ranging from 2% to 30%), while all treatment studies found caffeine to be safe and effective in acute migraine treatment, mostly in combination with other analgesics. Overall, based on our review of the current literature, there is insufficient evidence to recommend caffeine cessation to all migraine patients, but it should be highlighted that caffeine overuse may lead to migraine chronification, and sudden caffeine withdrawal may trigger migraine attacks. Migraine sufferers should be aware of the amount of caffeine they consume and not exceed 200 mg daily. If they wish to continue drinking caffeinated beverages, they should keep their daily intake as consistent as possible to avoid withdrawal headache.

The Rorschach Test Evaluation in Chronic Childhood Migraine: A Preliminary Multicenter Case-Control Study

OBJECT

About 1.2-3.2% of children at 7 years of age with increasing age up to 4-19% in adolescents are suffering from migraine without aura (MwA). The aim of the present study is investigating the personality style associated with children and adolescents affected by MwA, administrating the Rorschach test, and comparing with typical developing healthy controls (TD).

METHODS

137 patients (74 males), aged 7.3-17.4 years (mean age 11.4, SD 3.02 years), affected by MwA according to the IHs-3 criteria. The Rorschach variables were treated as numerical variables and statistically tested with t-Student's analysis.

RESULTS

No statistical differences were found between the MwA and TD for age (p = 0.55), and gender (p = 0.804). From the comparison between the two samples, MwA group shows lower W responses (p < 0.001), good quality W responses (p < 0.001), high frequency of detailed responses (p < 0.001), the presence of even minor form of good quality responses (p < 0.001), increased presence of animals answers (A%) (p < 0.001), more frequent trivial answers (Ban%) (p < 0.001).

DISCUSSION

Rorschach interpretation pinpointed many interesting and, perhaps, peculiar aspects in our MwA population such as a trend predisposition for: analytical reasoning rather than synthetic, ease/practicality rather than creativity, oppositionality rather than external adaptation to the environment that may be interpreted as effect of general maladaptivity.

Sleep, headaches and cerebral energy control: a synoptic view

INTRODUCTION

The amount of cerebral functions is particularly elevated. This intense activity requires a great expenditure of energy: the restoration of energy is the fundamental function of sleep whilst the slowdown in energy consumption may be considered the physiological effect of primary headaches. The continuous interaction of sleep and primary headaches is possible as they share many anatomical and functional cerebral systems. Areas covered: This review describes how sleep and headaches are reciprocally involved in preservation and restoration of brain energy. Data were obtained from the most relevant and recent works available in PubMed about this topic. Expert commentary: The energetic view of sleep, primary headaches and their relationship may have relevant clinical consequences: the investigation and the modification of the multiple aspects, primarily environmental, that may influence sleep and headache, become mandatory to facilitate the cerebral energy preservation by reducing its consumption and by ensuring its recovery.

Correlation Between Life Events and Quality of Life in Patients with Medication-Overuse Headache

INTRODUCTION

The present study aimed to determine (a) the correlation between type and number of stressful life events and quality of life in patients with medication-overuse headache (MOH) and (b) whether stressful life events could be attributed to medication overuse and the conversion of headache to a chronic type.

METHODS

The present study included 114 patients aged between 15 and 65 years who met the criteria for headache classification of International Headache Society (IHS). The patients were divided into three groups according to the revised 2004 IHS classification; MOH (n=64), chronic migraine (n=25) and episodic migraine (n=25). Detailed data on clinical and sociodemographic characteristics were recorded. Neurological and physical examinations were performed for differential diagnosis. The patients underwent structured clinical interviews for DSM-IV Inventory (SCID-I), Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Short Form-36 (SF-36) and Life Events List. Scores of these inventories were statistically compared.

RESULTS

Comparing MOH group with episodic migraine group via SF-36, statistically significant decreases were observed in the subscales of physical role limitation (p=.024), pain (p=.0001), general health (p=.043) and social functioning (p=.004). There was a statistically significant correlation between the number of life events and the time the disease became chronic in the patient group with non-MOH chronic migraine (p=.027). Moreover, a statistically significant correlation was observed between stressful family life events and the body pain subscale of quality of life scale (p=.038).

CONCLUSION

The present study demonstrates that stressful life events impair quality of life in patients with MOH. It was also found that number of stressful life events could be attributed to the conversion of headache to a chronic type.

Social withdrawal as a self-management behavior for migraine: implications for depression comorbidity among disadvantaged women

Disadvantaged women with migraine headaches have a particularly high risk of developing comorbid depression and often isolate themselves from others-or socially withdraw-to manage these disorders. Despite this, little is known about whether or how social withdrawal as a self-management strategy for episodic migraine might contribute to the more severe symptom burden in this group. In this article, we explore the potentially cumulative, deleterious effect that this strategy may have in modulating migraine-depression symptom severity in this population and argue that further theoretical and empirical work from nursing and complexity science perspectives is needed to better understand this phenomenon.

Patients profiling for Botox® (onabotulinum toxin A) treatment for migraine: a look at white matter lesions in the MRI as a potential marker

Background

To evaluate if white matter lesions (WML) on MRI can be a potential marker for onabotulinum toxin A (Botox®) treatment success in migraine, given the limited response rate and high costs per treatment.

Methods

Retrospective data base and MRI analysis of 529 migraineurs who received Botox® between 2002 and 2009. Responders were defined as patients who underwent three or more treatments, whereas non-responders had only one or two treatments. MRIs were analysed on axial T2 and coronar FLAIR (fluid attenuated inversion recovery) sequences for the presence of WML. Statistical analysis was done with the Chi-Square-Test and the Mann–Whitney-U-Test.

Results

Of 529 Botox® treated migraineurs, 111 patients had a MRI. Of these 111 patients, 47 were responders, 64 non-responders to Botox®. Response rate to Botox® in migraineurs with WML was 55.3%, in migraineurs without WML 44.7%. In the investigated items “age”, “age at onset”, “gender”, “attack duration”, “frequency”, “aura”, “WML”, “size of WML”, we found no statistical significant difference between the two groups. 55% of the responders and 50% of the non-responders showed WML. All WML were located supratentorially, anteriorly, mostly of small size (3–5 mm).

Conclusion

WML on MRIs cannot serve as a marker to predict a positive response to Botox®.

Reduced Frontal P3a Amplitude in Migraine Patients during the Pain-Free Period

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies both suggest that frontal lobe dysfunction is present in migraineurs. Since P3a abnormalities manifest in other diseases associated with attention problems, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, we hypothesized that migraine patients have P3a abnormalities, particularly in the frontal region.

METHODS

Event-related potentials were measured using a passive auditory oddball paradigm in 16 female migraineurs (aged 22.9±2.0 years, mean±SD) during the interictal period and in 16 age-matched healthy females (22.6±2.0 years). The amplitudes and latencies were analyzed independently using repeated-measures analysis of variance. Nonparametric statistical testing using a cluster-level randomization method was performed to localize the abnormalities.

RESULTS

The mean P3a amplitude at frontal areas during the third trials was significantly lower in migraineurs (1.06 µV) than in controls (1.69 µV, p=0.026). P3a amplitudes were negatively correlated with the duration of the migraine history (r=-0.618, p=0.014). Cluster-based nonparametric statistical analysis showed that the amplitudes over left frontal areas were significantly lower in migraine patients than in controls.

CONCLUSIONS

A reduced P3a amplitude of migraineurs reflects attentional deficits and frontal dysfunction. The negative correlation between P3a amplitude and the duration of the migraine history suggests that attentional deficits and frontal dysfunction are either the cause or the result of headache.

Cutaneous allodynia in patients with episodic migraine

Cutaneous allodynia may be observed in patients with migraine and this reflects the central sensitization of the trigeminal neurons. We aimed to investigate the frequency of cutaneous allodynia in patients with episodic migraine and to compare clinical characteristics of migraine patients with and without allodynia. One hundred and eighty-six consecutive patients with episodic migraine attacks were prospectively included in the study. The cutaneous allodynia symptoms that occurred during headache attacks were documented using a questionnaire for assessing cephalic and extracephalic cutaneous allodynia. One hundred and fourteen patients (61.3 %) were observed to develop allodynia during migraine attacks and the ratio of the female gender was found higher among the patients with allodynia (p < 0.001). Migraine disease duration was longer (p = 0.004) and accompanying nausea and phonophobia were more common (p = 0.003 and p = 0.005, respectively) in the patients with allodynia. Menstrually related migraine was found to be associated with both allodynia (p = 0.049) and its severity (p = 0.003). The results of present study revealed that cutaneous allodynia was rather frequent in episodic migraine, particularly in patients having longer disease duration. Higher frequency of allodynia in women and its association with menstrually related migraine may be related to the effects of hormonal factors on cutaneous pain thresholds and central sensitization. Association of nausea and phonophobia with allodynia may be interpreted as the common pathways are shared in the development of these symptoms.

Understanding migraine through the lens of maladaptive stress responses: a model disease of allostatic load

The brain and body respond to potential and actual stressful events by activating hormonal and neural mediators and modifying behaviors to adapt. Such responses help maintain physiological stability ("allostasis"). When behavioral or physiological stressors are frequent and/or severe, allostatic responses can become dysregulated and maladaptive ("allostatic load"). Allostatic load may alter brain networks both functionally and structurally. As a result, the brain's responses to continued/subsequent stressors are abnormal, and behavior and systemic physiology are altered in ways that can, in a vicious cycle, lead to further allostatic load. Migraine patients are continually exposed to such stressors, resulting in changes to central and peripheral physiology and function. Here we review how changes in brain states that occur as a result of repeated migraines may be explained by a maladaptive feedforward allostatic cascade model and how understanding migraine within the context of allostatic load model suggests alternative treatments for this often-debilitating disease.

Evaluation of the efficacy of caffeine cessation, nortriptyline, and topiramate therapy in vestibular migraine and complex dizziness of unknown etiology

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a therapeutic pathway for vestibular migraine (VM) and complex dizziness of undetermined etiology (CDUE) with caffeine cessation and pharmacotherapy.

STUDY DESIGN

This study is a retrospective chart review.

INTERVENTION(S)

Patients were recommended to stop intake of caffeine and other putative migraine-triggering agents. Pharmacotherapy was initiated with nortriptyline or topiramate if symptoms persisted despite diet modification.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Self-reported dizziness is the main outcome measure.

RESULTS

Vestibular migraine and CDUE were considered contributing factors to dizziness in 34 and 10, respectively, of 156 patients. Fourteen percent of patients reported improvement in symptoms upon caffeine cessation, whereas 46% of patients reported a reduction in dizziness after nortriptyline therapy (P = .007). Topiramate reduced symptoms in 25% of patients. In total, 75% of VM patients and 56% of patients with CDUE received sufficient benefit from this therapeutic pathway to not progress to other treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

Vestibular migraine and CDUE can be treated effectively with a therapeutic pathway consisting of caffeine cessation followed by pharmacotherapy.

Stress in migraine: personality-dependent vulnerability, life events, and gender are of significance

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The individual's experiences of stress as well as constitutional factors, including high neuroticism and female gender, are known determinants for migraine. The present aim was to further elucidate factors of personality and stress, including life events, in relation to gender in migraine.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was performed on 150 persons, 106 women and 44 men, suffering from at least two migraine attacks a month. All obtained a doctor-defined migraine diagnosis based on a structured face-to-face interview concerning their health situation and current and prior stress. All of them also answered validated questionnaires regarding personality traits (SSP), life events, and perceived ongoing stress.

RESULTS

The personality trait inventory showed high mean scores for stress susceptibility and low mean scores for aggressiveness and adventure seeking, both for women and for men, as well as high mean scores for psychic and somatic anxiety in women. Stress susceptibility, the overall most deviant trait, correlated strikingly with current level of stress in both sexes. In women, stress susceptibility also correlated strongly with experiences of negative life events. Tension-type headache, anxiety, and depression were approximately twice as prevalent in women compared to men.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study confirms previous research, showing that stress is an important factor in migraine. Stress susceptibility, life events, and concomitant psychosomatic illnesses should be considered important when evaluating individuals with migraine, and gender aspects need to be taken into account.