Ten-year follow-up in a case series of integrative botulinum toxin intervention in adolescents with chronic daily headache and associated muscle pain

Onabotulinumtoxina in the Prevention of Migraine in Pediatric Population: A Systematic Review

Migraine is a leading cause of disability worldwide, yet it remains underrecognized and undertreated, especially in the pediatric and adolescent population. Chronic migraine occurs approximately in 1% of children and adolescents requiring preventive treatment. Topiramate is the only FDA-approved preventative treatment for children older than 12 years of age, but there is conflicting evidence regarding its efficacy. OnabotulinumtoxinA is a known and approved treatment for the management of chronic migraine in people older than 18 years. Several studies examine its role in the pediatric population with positive results; however, the clear-cut benefit is still unclear. OnabotulinumtoxinA seems not only to improve disability scores (PedMIDAS) but also to improve the quality, characteristics, and frequency of migraines in the said population. This systematic review aims to summarize the evidence on the efficacy, dosing, administration, long-term outcomes, and safety of onabotulinumtoxinA in pediatric and adolescent migraine. Eighteen studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. The mean monthly migraine days (MMDs), decreased from of 21.2 days per month to 10.7 after treatment. The reported treatment-related adverse effects were mild and primarily injection site related and ranged from 0% to 47.0%. Thus, this review provides compelling evidence suggesting that OnabotulinumtoxinA may represent a safe and effective preventive treatment option for pediatric migraine.

Effectiveness and Safety of OnabotulinumtoxinA in Adolescent Patients with Chronic Migraine

Chronic migraine (CM) significantly affects underage individuals. The study objectives are (1) to analyze the effectiveness and safety of onabotulinumtoxinA (BTX-A) in adolescents with CM; (2) to review the literature on BTX-A use in the pediatric population. This prospective observational study included patients under 18 years old with CM treated with BTX-A (PREEMPT protocol) as compassionate use. Demographic, efficacy (monthly headache days-MHD; monthly migraine days-MMD; acute medication days/month-AMDM) and side effect data were collected. A ≥ 50% reduction in MHD was considered as a response. Effectiveness and safety were analyzed at 6 and 12 months. A systematic review of the use of BTX-A in children/adolescents was conducted in July 2023. In total, 20 patients were included (median age 15 years [14.75-17], 70% (14/20) females). The median basal frequencies were 28.8 [20-28] MHD, 18 [10-28] MMD and 10 [7.5-21.2] AMDM. Compared with baseline, at 6 months (n = 20), 11 patients (55%) were responders, with a median reduction in MHD of -20 days/month (p = 0.001). At 12 months (n = 14), eight patients (57.1%) were responders, with a median reduction in MHD of -17.5 days/month (p = 0.002). No adverse effects were reported. The literature search showed similar results. Our data supports the concept that BTX-A is effective, well tolerated, and safe in adolescents with CM resistant to oral preventatives.

The Use of Botulinum Toxin Type A in Medically Refractory Pediatric Patients With Chronic Daily Headaches and Its Impact on the Quality of Life

Background: Chronic migraine in children has been a challenging condition to treat, prompting the investigation of alternative therapies. This retrospective single-center chart review aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Botox injections for managing chronic migraine in children. Methods: The study included children with chronic daily headaches and chronic migraine who were medically refractory to previous treatments at OSF Healthcare/Illinois Neurological Institute, Peoria, between 2015 and 2021. Botox injections were administered quarterly following a specific protocol. Data were obtained from electronic medical records by manual review. Results: Twenty-four patients met the inclusion criteria (median age 15.4 years, 87% female). Comorbidities included depression (41.6%) and sleep disturbances (33.2%). Prior to Botox treatment, patients had been tried on a median number of 5 (interquartile range [IQR] 4, 7) medications. Botox injections resulted in a significant reduction in headache frequency, with a mean difference (6 months vs pretreatment) in the Headache Impact Test (HIT 3) scores of -19.6 (95% CI -24.8, -14.3), P < .001, and mean difference in the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) scores of -50.8 (95% CI -62.6, -39.0, P < .001). Subjective improvements included mood enhancement (13/24, 54.2%) and improved concentration (12/24, 50%). Treatment-related side effects were reported by 5/24 (20%) of patients and were mostly mild to moderate. Conclusions: Botox injections offer a promising therapeutic option for managing chronic migraine in children who have not responded to traditional medications. Future controlled trials and long-term follow-up studies are needed to further evaluate Botox treatment's benefits and adverse effects in children with chronic migraine.

OnabotulinumtoxinA for Pediatric Migraine

BACKGROUND

Migraine is a painful, prevalent, and problematic condition among children. Children need access to safe and effective treatment options to alleviate the impact of this chronic condition on their wellbeing.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Nurses have a crucial role in supporting patient access to BTX-A. Given the results of this and other studies demonstrating the safety and efficacy of BTX-A in children, nurses can support policy change for health plans to fund this intervention for pediatric migraineurs. Allowing children to receive the safe and effective BTX-A injections will lessen the already significant impact of chronic migraine on their physical, emotional and mental health. Nurses can also play a key role in providing education to patients regarding safe administration of BTX-A for migraine.

AIM

The objective of this study was to define the experiences, effects, and clinical response of children to onabotulinumtoxinA (BTX-A) for migraine prevention.

METHODS

Clinical documentation for patients aged 13-17 years presenting for BTX-A treatment for chronic migraine between 2016-2022 in a community-based specialty clinic within a large, urban, pediatric academic medical center were included. A series of one-way repeated measures (analysis of variance [ANOVA]) were conducted to compare headache frequency, severity, and duration at baseline, and following first and second injections of BTX-A.

RESULTS

Of 32 eligible participants, administration of BTX-A demonstrated a decrease in headache frequency and severity. Participants reported nearly seven fewer headache days per month. Participants reported neck stiffness, fever or flu-like symptoms, fatigue, and worsening pain following BTX-A administration.

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatric migraineurs need therapies that are safe, effective, and accessible. BTX-A was a safe and effective treatment for migraine among the children included in this study.

Effectiveness of onabotulinumtoxinA (BOTOX) in pediatric patients experiencing migraines: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover study in the pediatric pain population

INTRODUCTION

OnabotulinumtoxinA (OBTA) is approved for treating chronic headaches and migraines in adults, but there is limited scientific literature on the outcomes in pediatric patients. The aim of this study was to determine if subjects treated with OBTA reported a statistically significant improvement in the primary features (frequency, intensity, duration and disability scoring) associated with migraines compared with placebo at follow-up visits.

METHODS

After obtaining approval by the appropriate local (HS# 2016-3108) and federal institutions, the principal investigator enrolled candidates aged 8 to 17 years old diagnosed with chronic migraines (at least 6 months), and 15 or more headache days in a 4-week baseline period. This randomized control trial consisted of two phases: double-blind and open-label for the first two and last two sets of treatments, respectively. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive a treatment protocol-155 units at 31 injection sites-in 3-month intervals and follow-up visits every 6 weeks. Non-parametric testing (Wilcoxon signed-rank test) was performed using widely available open-source statistical software ('R').

RESULTS

From February 2017 to November 2018, 17 subjects presented for a screening visit; 15 met eligibility criteria. Subjects that received OBTA reported a statistically significant decrease from the following baseline values compared with placebo 6-week post-treatment compared with placebo: frequency (20 (7 to 17) vs 28 (23 to 28); p=0.038), intensity (5 (3 to 7) vs 7 (5 to 9); p=0.047), and PedMIDAS (Pediatric Migraine Disability Score) (3 (2 to 4) vs 4 (4 to 4); p=0.047). There was no statistically significant difference in the duration (10 (2 to 24) vs 24 (4 to 24); p=0.148) of migraines between the two groups.

DISCUSSION

OnabotulinumtoxinA showed a statistically significant decrease in frequency and intensity of migraines compared with placebo. No adverse effects or serious adverse events related to the use of OBTA were reported. In the future, we aim to evaluate the specific nature of migraines, for example, quality/location of pain presented during an initial consult to predict the likelihood of OBTA being a truly effective modality of pain management for pediatric migraineurs.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03055767.

A Randomized Trial to Evaluate OnabotulinumtoxinA for Prevention of Headaches in Adolescents With Chronic Migraine

OBJECTIVE

As a post-approval commitment, this dose-ranging study was undertaken to evaluate efficacy and safety of onabotulinumtoxinA in adolescents.

BACKGROUND

In adolescents, migraine is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed and can present unique management challenges. OnabotulinumtoxinA was approved for prevention of chronic migraine (CM) in adults in 2010.

METHODS

This multicenter, double-blind, parallel-group, randomized trial assessed a single treatment of onabotulinumtoxinA (155 U or 74 U) vs placebo (intramuscular saline) administered via the recommended fixed-dose fixed site paradigm in adolescents with CM aged 12 to <18 years. The primary efficacy measure was change in frequency of headache days from baseline at week 12; other measures included change in frequency of headache days at weeks 4 and 8 and change in frequency of severe headache days. Safety and tolerability were assessed.

RESULTS

Of 125 randomized patients (onabotulinumtoxinA 155 U, n = 45; onabotulinumtoxinA 74 U, n = 43; placebo, n = 37), all were included in the primary efficacy analysis, and 115 (92.0%) completed the study. Lack of efficacy was the primary reason for discontinuing (n = 4; 3.2%); no patients discontinued because of adverse events. All treatments reduced frequency of headache days at week 12, with no significant differences between treatments. The mean (95% confidence interval) changes from baseline in the frequency of headache days during the 28-day period ending at week 12 (primary endpoint) were -6.3 (-8.5, -4.2), -6.4 (-8.8, -4.0), and -6.8 (-9.6, -4.1) days in the onabotulinumtoxinA 155 U, onabotulinumtoxinA 74 U, and placebo groups, respectively (P ≥ .474). All treatments reduced frequency of severe headache days and were well-tolerated; serious adverse events (n = 3) were considered unrelated to treatment and resolved without sequelae. The most commonly reported treatment-emergent adverse events were neck pain (n = 8), upper respiratory tract infection (n = 7), migraine, and nasopharyngitis (n = 5 each).

CONCLUSION

Although this study did not meet its efficacy endpoints, onabotulinumtoxinA was well tolerated in this adolescent population. Given previous data demonstrating the benefits of onabotulinumtoxinA in adults with CM, additional studies with design modifications, including adequate statistical power, to assess the efficacy of multiple treatment cycles of onabotulinumtoxinA for CM prevention in adolescents may be informative.

Intramuscular innervation patterns of the splenius capitis and splenius cervicis and their clinical implications for botulinum toxin injections

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to clearly characterize the intramuscular nerve distributions of the splenius capitis and splenius cervicis muscles that are both responsible for the onset of a chronic tension type headache and to use this information to identify the effective botulinum toxin (BoNT) injection sites.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ten splenius capitis and splenius cervicis specimens were subjected to Sihler's staining to reveal intramuscular nerve arborization patterns and determined the optimal location for BoNT injection.

RESULTS

Nerve distribution patterns in the splenius capitis were identified as nerve pathways that travel down toward the origin point and others that travel up toward the insertion point. This neuromuscular innervation from the central (50%) point was distributed evenly in these two directions. The neural pathways of splenius cervicis traveled vertically from the insertion point to the origin point. If the length from the muscle origin point to the insertion point is normalized to 100%, motor neurons innervate the muscle from around the 30% to the 70% point.

CONCLUSIONS

The safest and most-effective BoNT injection sites for the splenius capitis and splenius cervicis were found at around the 50% point and the 30% to the 70% point, respectively.

Treatment of migraine attacks and prevention of migraine: Guidelines by the German Migraine and Headache Society and the German Society of Neurology

In collaboration with some of the leading headache centres in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, we have established new guidelines for the treatment of migraine attacks and the prevention of migraine. A thorough literature research of the last 10 years has been the basis of the current recommendations. At the beginning, we present therapeutic novelties, followed by a summary of all recommendations. After an introduction, we cover topics like drug therapy and practical experience, non-effective medication, migraine prevention, interventional methods, non-medicational and psychological methods for prevention and therapies without proof of efficacy.

Evidence to Use Botulinum Toxin Injections in Tension-Type Headache Management: A Systematic Review

Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most common type of chronic recurring head pain. It can occur twice as often in women as in men. It is the most common type of headache. Its lifetime prevalence is 30% to 78% in the general population. TTH treatment should be multilevel. It often consists of taking pain medication, muscle relaxants, antidepressants, using biofeedback therapy, acupuncture, and attending behavioral therapy. Several clinical trials also suggest that botulinum toxin (BTX) may be an effective treatment option for such patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate if BTX can be used as a treatment method in TTH in the light of current medical literature. The authors searched the PubMed, EBSCOhost, OVID, Web of Knowledge, Cochrane Library and CINAHL databases to identify relevant publications. The authors finally included 11 papers-prospective and retrospective cohort studies. Among most of the selected studies, there was a significant correlation between using BTX and reduction of TTH pain intensity and severity. By analyzing qualified studies, it can be concluded that botulinum toxin seems to be effective in TTH management.