The value of EEG in children with chronic headaches

Transient headache and neurological deficits with cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis syndrome: A comprehensive systematic review of 93 patients from 57 studies

BACKGROUND

Headache with neurologic deficits and cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis, previously also termed pseudomigraine with temporary neurologic symptoms and lymphocytic pleocytosis, is a self-limiting syndrome characterized by moderate to severe headache associated with focal neurological deficits occurring in the context of lymphocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid. As a consequence of its rarity, data regarding headache with neurologic deficits and cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis is sparse. Therefore, we conducted this review to analyze data related to 93 patients of headache with neurologic deficits and cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis, to characterize their demographics, clinical manifestations, investigations and treatment options.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review of cases reported through PubMed and Google scholar database, using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol. Keywords used were 'Headache with Neurologic Deficits and cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis', 'Headache with neurologic deficits and cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis syndrome'. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tool.

RESULTS

We analyzed a total of 93 cases of headache with neurologic deficits and cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis with a mean age of 28.8 years at onset. Seventy patients (75.2%) were adults, while 23 (24.7%) belonged to the pediatric age group. Comparing these groups, mean age at onset was 32.5 years and 14.3 years, respectively. The average duration of follow-up was 11.08 months. Thirty percent of patients experienced relapsing episodes of headache with neurologic deficits and cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis symptoms. The most common type of headache reported was unilateral severe throbbing episodic headache. Other associated symptoms included sensory deficit (60%) and motor deficits (54.8%). The least common symptoms were nystagmus and agraphia, which were reported in one patient each. Antiviral agents were a common treatment option in the acute phase (n  =  23 patients [23.6%]), while Flunarizine was the most commonly used agent in the chronic setting (n = 3 patients [3.2%]). While most of the patients had normal brain magnetic resonance imaging, 20 patients had magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities, including (but not limited to) non-specific white matter lesions (eight patients) and meningeal enhancement (six patients). The most common electroencephalographic findings included diffuse and focal slowing. The mean cerebrospinal fluid opening-pressure was 240.5 mmH₂O. Cerebrospinal fluid protein was elevated in 59 (63.4%) patients, with a mean value of 114 mg/dL. Two patients in our cohort were found to have cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal bands.

CONCLUSION

Headache with neurologic deficits and cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis tends to affect young individuals with a slight male predominance. Unilateral severe throbbing episodic headache with associated hemi-paresthesia and hemiparesis were the most common symptoms based on our review. Elevated cerebrospinal fluid opening-pressure can be seen in headache with neurologic deficits and cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis syndrome. Early recognition of the syndrome is paramount. Antivirals were found to be among the most widely used treatments in the acute setting. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain is mostly normal. Diffuse and focal slowing were among the most common electroencephalographic findings. Cerebral flow abnormalities on perfusion scans are not uncommon in headache with neurologic deficits and cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis. Prospective studies with a larger sample size are needed to validate our findings and guide the clinical care of these patients.

Epicranial headache part 1: Primary stabbing headache

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

Primary stabbing headache is a common but under-recognized primary headache disorder. The objectives of this review were to provide practical information for better understanding and identification of the disease, suggest an algorithm for differential diagnosis, and provide an insight into the pathophysiology of primary stabbing headache hypothesized from its clinical course.

METHODS

This narrative review of primary stabbing headache is based on a literature search and the authors' clinical reasoning.

RESULT

The phenotype of each stab is typically abrupt, ultrashort-lasting (<3 s), focal or multifocal, paroxysms of pain occurring sporadically or in clusters. The diagnosis of primary stabbing headache is clinical; fixed or migrating stabs without background pain or sensory abnormalities and the absence of features suggestive of other disorders (e.g., cranial autonomic symptoms or signs) can aid in the diagnosis of primary stabbing headache. The clinical patterns include monophasic, intermittent, and chronic primary stabbing headache, of which the first two are considered typical. The pathophysiology of primary stabbing headache has not yet been elucidated. In this review, we postulated the mechanism of stabbing headache, based on the pain phenotype and clinical course, and provide a clinical algorithm for the differential diagnosis of primary stabbing headache.

CONCLUSION

Knowledge about the typical manifestations and clinical patterns of primary stabbing headache will aid in the proper diagnosis and differential diagnosis. Treatment should be tailored by considering the clinical patterns. Further research is needed to elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms and optimal treatment of primary stabbing headache.

The Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Primary Stabbing Headache

Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of primary stabbing headache in children and adolescents that presented because of headache. Materials and Methods: The medical files of 772 children and adolescents who presented with headache to the Pediatric Neurology Outpatient Clinic at Başkent University between 2012 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. In total, 77 patients (9.97%) with primary stabbing headache and those thought to have primary stabbing headache were included in the study. Patient data, including demographic features, headache characteristics, family history of primary headache, electroencephalographic (EEG) findings, and cranial magnetic resonane imaging (MRI) findings, were noted. Results: Age at presentation was <6 years in 16.9% of the patients and onset time of headache was below 3 months in 55.8%. Daily headache attacks occurred in 46.8% of the patients. Headache localization was frontal in 54.5% of patients and bilateral in 68.8%, whereas the quality of headache was undefined in 40.3%. Headache attack duration was seconds long in 37.7% of the patients, attacks occurred at any time of the day in 83.1%, and 80.5% did not have accompanying symptoms. In all, 54.5% of the patients had a negative family history of primary headache. In 95.8% of the patients, EEG findings were normal and cranial MRI findings were normal in 100% of the patients. Conclusion: The prevalence of primary stabbing headache is not rare in children and adolescents. Clinician awareness of the diagnosis and underlying causes of primary stabbing headache should be increased.

Approach to the Diagnosis of Pediatric Headache

Headache in children and adolescents is a common symptom that can be worrisome to patients, their parents and clinicians due to the myriad of underlying etiologies, both benign and life-threatening. The evaluation of headache must be directed primarily to exclude secondary causes. A detailed headache history, recognition of headache patterns and red flags and thorough physical and neurological examinations are essential in the diagnosis; and identifies patients requiring further workup. Considerations for neuroimaging and ancillary testing are also discussed.

Short-Lasting Headaches in Children

Short-lasting headaches have been studied infrequently in children and it is not known if the main categories of primary headaches of this type in adults are applicable to children. We report our experience with a group of 20 children with a brief headache. Two patients had a secondary headache. One patient had a headache with some clinical characteristics of paroxysmal hemicrania. The remaining 17 had a very brief headache. They were in many aspects comparable to others from previous studies on idiopathic stabbing headache in children: no associated symptoms, no other associated headache, frequent family history of migraine. They differed, however, in the younger age of the patients and the more frequent extratrigeminal location of the pain. Extratrigeminal ice-pick pain may be a variant of idiopathic stabbing headache, more prevalent in young children.

Primary stabbing headache in adults and pediatrics: a review

Primary stabbing headache (PSH) is an under-recognized primary headache disorder, which often goes undiagnosed. It is mainly characterized by its ultrashort stabbing quality and can be easily overlooked both by patients and providers as it is often not severe enough to interfere significantly with daily life. However, PSH may be severe and require therapy, and it is important for providers to recognize this headache type, both in adult and pediatric populations, as well as to be able to distinguish it from secondary headache disorders. PSH also may be more common than previously thought.

[French guidelines on electroencephalogram]

Electroencephalography allows the functional analysis of electrical brain cortical activity and is the gold standard for analyzing electrophysiological processes involved in epilepsy but also in several other dysfunctions of the central nervous system. Morphological imaging yields complementary data, yet it cannot replace the essential functional analysis tool that is EEG. Furthermore, EEG has the great advantage of being non-invasive, easy to perform and allows control tests when follow-up is necessary, even at the patient's bedside. Faced with the advances in knowledge, techniques and indications, the Société de Neurophysiologie Clinique de Langue Française (SNCLF) and the Ligue Française Contre l'Épilepsie (LFCE) found it necessary to provide an update on EEG recommendations. This article will review the methodology applied to this work, refine the various topics detailed in the following chapters. It will go over the summary of recommendations for each of these chapters and underline proposals for writing an EEG report. Some questions could not be answered by the review of the literature; in those cases, an expert advice was given by the working and reading groups in addition to the guidelines.

Stabbing headache in an 8-year-old girl: primary or drug induced headache?

The occurrence of stabbing headaches in children requires a thorough diagnostic approach that excludes secondary headaches. The organic background should be taken into consideration when alarming symptoms occur, such as a purely 1-sided location, a change in the character of the headache, or possibly a link to physical activity. The current study describes the case of an 8-year-old girl who suffered short-lasting stabbing headache attacks. The headaches with increasing intensity and frequency started 1 month before her hospitalization and were usually preceded by physical activity (dancing, running). The pain, which was located in the right supraorbital region, lasted 1 second and occurred several times during the day. No associated symptoms were observed. In addition, the girl suffered from allergic rhinitis and was on antiallergic treatment (levocetirizine, fluticasone nasal spray). On admission she was in good general condition, and a pediatric and neurologic examination revealed no abnormalities. Her brain MRI was normal. The initial diagnosis was that the patient was suffering from primary stabbing headaches. However, during a follow-up visit 4 months later, a relationship was observed between the cessation of the headache attacks and the discontinuation of an antihistaminic drug. Six months later, the girl remained headache free. In cases involving differential diagnoses of stabbing headaches, it is important to consider the adverse reactions of the drugs used.

Electroencephalogram variations in pediatric migraines and tension-type headaches

This study evaluates specific electroencephalogram abnormalities in pediatric migraine and tension-type headaches, and demonstrates the clinical value of these abnormalities. We studied 50 migraine patients and 50 tension-type headache patients. Their mean age ± SD was 10.62 ± 3.21 (range, 5-16) years in the migraine group, and 13.00 ± 2.37 (7-16) years in the tension-type headache group. Diagnoses were rendered according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd Edition, First Revision, of the International Headache Society. All patients underwent two waking-state electroencephalograms, one during a headache, and the other when headache-free. Thirty-six percent (18/50) of migraine patients and 12% (6/50) of tension-type headache patients revealed specific electroencephalogram abnormalities in headache attack electroencephalograms (P < 0.05). In headache-free period electroencephalograms, 16% (8/50) of the migraine group and 2% (1/50) of the tension-type headache group revealed abnormalities (P < 0.05). Our results indicate that electroencephalogram abnormalities are particularly prevalent in migraines, especially during headache attacks. This study is the first, to the best of our knowledge, on electroencephalographic evaluation of pediatric migraine and tension-type headache patients during both headache attacks and headache-free periods.

Primary headache: role of investigations in a cohort of young children and adolescents

BACKGROUND

We report a study conducted in children and adolescents who are affected by primary headaches. The aim was to establish the most useful investigations for diagnosing headaches.

METHODS

The current study involved 300 consecutively hospitalized children and adolescents selected according to the criteria of the second edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders. The following examinations were performed in all patients: full ophthalmologic; brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); electroencephalography; echocardiogram; and electrocardiogram. Dental, otorhinolaryngology, echocardiography of the supra-aortic trunks, abdominal ultrasound, and visual- and auditory-evoked potentials were carried out in patients according to the clinical signs associated with headache.

RESULTS

In a large number of cases routine laboratory analysis and neurophysiologic investigations were within the normal value when neurologic examination was normal. Electroencephalography, ophthalmologic studies and cerebral MRI are advisable as they can reveal precocious pathologic events, even in the absence of evident or alarming clinical signs.

CONCLUSION

As widely reported in the literature, most of these investigations may be of little clinical value, but the authors reasoned that electroencephalography, ophthalmologic investigations and a cerebral MRI may be noteworthy because such studies may reveal a precocious pathologic event which can change the prognostic value of the headache. In addition, negative results on cerebral MRI may relieve the anxiety of parents and in turn may positively influence the clinical course of headache in children and adolescents.

Pediatric migraine

Migraine is the most common cause of acute recurrent headaches in children. The pathophysiological concepts have evolved from a purely vascular etiology to a neuroinflammatory process. Clinical evaluation is the mainstay of diagnosis and should also include family history. Investigations help to rule out secondary causes. The role of new drugs in treatment of migraine is discussed and trials are quoted from literature. Indications for starting prophylaxis should be evaluated based on frequency of attacks and influence on quality of life. For management of acute attacks of migraine both acetaminophen and ibuprofen are recommended for use in children. Many drugs like antiepileptic drugs (AED), calcium channel blockers, and antidepressants have been used for prophylaxis of migraine in children. The data for use of newer drugs for migraine in children is limited, though AEDs are emerging a popular choice. Biofeedback and other nonmedicinal therapies are being used with promising results.

The brain is hyperexcitable in migraine

Migraine is a very common disorder occurring in 20% of women and 6% of men. Central neuronal hyperexcitability is proposed to be the putative basis for the physiological disturbances in migraine. Since there are no consistent structural disturbances in migraine, physiological and psychophysical studies have provided insight into the underlying mechanisms. This is a review of the neurophysiological studies which have provided an insight to migraine pathogenesis supporting the theory of hyperexcitability.

Kopfschmerzpatienten im klinischen Alltag

In routine clinical practice, the question whether instrumental examinations of patients with headaches should be carried out, is not always easy. If secondary headaches are suspected, with atypical presentation and focal neurological signs or symptoms, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be indicated. In primary headaches, such as migraine, tension headache or trigemino-autonomic headaches, no further diagnostic procedures are warranted, as long as the clinical presentation is typical (i.e. corresponds to the International Headache Society guidelines) and neurological examination is normal. This article reviews the evidence from the literature and recommendations of European and American task forces regarding the use of instrumental examinations in case of non-acute primary headache.

Relationship between migraine and epilepsy in pediatric age

OBJECTIVE

Many studies have supported the hypothesis of alteration of cortical hyperexcitability as a possible pathological mechanism underlying the onset of migraine and epileptic attacks. Different biochemical pathways involving cellular structures may increase or decrease the excitability of neuronal membranes. The aim of this study was to identify a possible link between migraine and epilepsy from a clinical and neurophysiologic point of view.

METHODS

One-hundred thirty-seven children and adolescents consecutively diagnosed for tension-type headache and idiopathic migraine with and without aura were studied. Anamnestic, clinical, and instrumental data were collected by a neurological examination, a specific questionnaire, and awake electroencephalogram (EEG) registrations. EEG features of nonheadache and nonseizures control group were compared.

RESULTS

Fourteen cases (10.2%) had a positive history for seizures with fever, isolated seizures, or epilepsy. Distribution differed according to headache diagnosis; migraine with aura (MWA) was largely prevalent. Specific electroencephalographic abnormalities were present in 11.7% of the sample, with a significant different distribution across the groups of children with headache and the control group: specific interictal abnormalities were found in 10 of 23 (43.5%) children with MWA. Two factors, seizures and specific interictal electroencephalographic abnormalities, showed a different distribution in patients with MWA compared to other classes of headache and control group (P < or = .01).

CONCLUSION

The present study supports the hypothesis of a possible clinical continuum between some types of MWA and epileptic syndromes as entities due to altered neuronal excitability with similar genetic substrates.

Primary headaches in preschool age children: clinical study and follow-up in 163 patients

Although headache frequency is increasing in preschool age children, an extensive evaluation of the clinical features in affected patients has yet to be achieved. This retrospective study examined 243 patients who were separately analysed in two distinct groups according to the age of onset and the age of first clinical evaluation. Group 1 included preschool age children, while Group 2 consisted of pubertal age patients. In all the patients the importance of a positive family history for headache as a risk factor was confirmed. In addition, when compared with Group 2, Group 1 showed greater male gender prevalence and earlier onset of the attacks. Regarding clinical features, in Group 1, compared with Group 2, the attack duration was shorter with lower symptom association such as photo- or phonophobia, nausea and no pain increase during physical activity. In the same group, tension-type headache was the predominant diagnosis, in contrast to the high migraine prevalence of Group 2. This study also showed that the International Headache Society 1988 classification criteria are not fully adequate for juvenile headaches. In fact, the headaches of more than 10% of patients in Group 1 still remained unclassifiable, while those of all the subjects in Group 2 were properly classifiable.

Electroencephalography in migraine: a review with focus on quantitative electroencephalography and the migraine vs. epilepsy relationship

EEG-studies in migraine in the last decade has contributed modestly to the understanding of headache pathogenesis. Headache patient groups seem to have increased EEG responses to photic stimulation, but a useful biological marker for migraine in single patients has not been found. In future EEG and QEEG studies we recommend to use follow-up designs and record several EEGs across the migraine cycle. It is also important to use a blinded study design in order to avoid selection bias. A clinical EEG should be performed in patients with acute headache attacks when either epilepsy, basilar migraine, migraine with prolonged aura or alternating hemiplegia is suspected. Unequivocal epileptiform abnormalities usually suggest a diagnosis of epilepsy. In children with occipital spike-wave activity the probable diagnosis is childhood epilepsy with occipital paroxysms (CEOP). The final diagnosis of either an epilepsy syndrome or migraine must be mainly based on a clinical judgement [corrected].

Idiopathic stabbing headache: clinical characteristics of children and adolescents

Very few cases of short-lasting headaches have been reported in children and adolescents. The aim of this study is to describe a group of patients in the pediatric age group with short attacks of head pain and to demonstrate that they are not easily classified according to existing criteria for adults. We describe 23 subjects in retrospect, 12 males and 11 females, with brief attacks of headache, stabbing in nature, self-limited, lasting from a few seconds to 15 min. This sample was taken from a total population of 548 children and adolescents referred to our Pediatric Headache Unit during the years 1995-1999. Mean age at onset of symptomatology was 9 years. The localization of the headache was bilateral in 60% of the patients and unilateral in 40%. The pain was either unifocal at the orbit or temple (60%) or multifocal (40%). In 24% of the children, the interictal awake EEG showed infrequent posterior slow-waves. In 12 patients we used paracetamol with a good response. Although these painful episodes shared some aspects with the adult form of idiopathic stabbing headache, they had different durations of attack, and other primary headache syndromes did not accompany them either at the time of presentation or during the following 2 years. Short attacks of headache are present in the pediatric age group and are not easily classified according to the International Headache Society criteria. Their nature and correlation with migraine remains unclear. We propose follow-up of these subjects to obtain a better description of the natural history of these forms of headache in the pediatric age group.

Overuse of EEG in the evaluation of common neurologic conditions

The objective of the present study was to analyze the diagnostic indications that most often prompt the referral of children and adolescents in the outpatient clinical pediatric practice for electroencephalographic evaluation and to check its utility in these clinical conditions. The electroencephalographic records of 547 consecutive children and adolescents (5-16 years of age) referred to a single community laboratory for the evaluation of various neurologic disorders were prospectively read by a single blinded investigator. Common diagnostic indications included the following: clinical seizures (42%), attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (23%), headaches (10.4%), syncope (9.9%), and tic disorder (4.9%). Overall, 76% of records were normal. Slowing of electroencephalographic activity was noted in 1% (attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder) to 26% (probable epilepsy), and epileptiform activity in 53% of the probable and 29% of the clinically possible epileptics. Epileptiform activity was rarely found in the nonepileptic patients. The results of the present study demonstrate that standard interictal electroencephalogram is being overused during evaluation of various neurologic disorders in children and adolescents, suggesting that its use should be reserved for supporting the diagnosis in those cases in which epilepsy is a reasonable clinical possibility.

Electroclinical features in children and adolescents with epilepsy and/or migraine, and occipital epileptiform EEG abnormalities

This study attempted to better define clinical and EEG features for differential diagnosis between epilepsy and migraine in children with occipital epileptiform EEG abnormalities. We studied 126 children (57 males, 69 females; age 4-18 years) suffering from epilepsy (63), migraine (43) or both (20). Patients were selected because of the presence of epileptiform abnormalities in the occipital regions on their EEG at rest. Differences among groups were statistically analyzed (Pearson chi square; ANOVA) for sex, age at onset of seizures and migrainous attacks, family history, ictal signs and symptoms, EEG at rest (unilateral vs bilateral distribution of epileptiform abnormalities), and EEG during Hyperventilation (HV) and Intermittent Photic Stimulation (IPS). Significant differences were found in family history, ictal signs and symptoms, EEG at rest and during activation tests. A family history of epilepsy, visual symptoms such as colored hallucinations and micro/macropsias, frequently associated with clinical signs in the visual system (eye deviation, nystagmus), unilateral EEG abnormalities, and abnormal response to IPS were closely related to diagnosis of epilepsy. On the other hand, a family history of migraine, visual symptoms such as amaurosis and scotomata, without evident clinical signs, bilateral EEG abnormalities, and no changes during IPS were significantly related to migraine. In conclusion, these clinical and EEG differences should be considered in the differential diagnosis between epilepsy and migraine in children with occipital epileptiform EEG abnormalities.

Headache in children with centrotemporal spikes

The aim of the study was to evaluate the long-term evolution of headache associated with rolandic centrotemporal spikes (CTS). The patient group consisted of a group of 32 children who suffered from headache and presented CTS at electroencephalogram (EEG). As the control group, we selected 52 sex- and age-matched children with headache without any EEG abnormalities. During a follow-up of 5 years none of them showed epileptic seizures. The number of headache attacks decreased in the majority of patients, as in the controls. A good correlation could be identified between CTS and the number of headaches attacks both at baseline (r = 0.58, P < 0.001) and at follow-up (r = 0.64, P < 0.001). In four children (12.5%), the frequency of headache attacks increased and this increase was associated with a higher frequency of CTS. In two patients, a change in the EEG pattern was observed during follow-up, with a 'migration' of the epileptiform complex from central to parietooccipital leads. In conclusion, these findings confirm that CTS are not pathognomonic of centrotemporal epilepsy and that evolution of CTS and headache in children are statistically related.

Clinical categorization of 312 children with chronic headache

Three hundred and twelve children referred to an outpatient pediatric neurology clinic, with headache that lasted more than 3 months, were retrospectively reviewed. On average, the age of pain onset was 8.4 years. Migraine was diagnosed in 54% of these children and tension-type headache was found in 22% of those with chronic headache. Most children (85%) had common migraine, while classic and complicated migraine was found in only 8.8% and 5.3%, respectively. Brief headaches, lasting from seconds to a few minutes, were found in 5.1% of the children evaluated. In this subgroup, a high rate of epileptic EEG activity was found. Out of 110 children who had undergone computerized tomography, only one was pathological (posterior arachnoid cyst). Our results indicate that chronic and recurrent headache without accompanying neurological symptoms are usually benign and therefore in most cases neuroimaging is not indicated.