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Petersen AS, Lund N, Goadsby PJ, Belin AC, Wang SJ, Fronczek R, Burish M, Cho SJ, Peres MFP, Jensen RH. Recent advances in diagnosing, managing, and understanding the pathophysiology of cluster headache. Lancet Neurol 2024; 23:712-724. [PMID: 38876749 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(24)00143-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Cluster headache, characterised by attacks of severe, recurrent, unilateral headache and ipsilateral cranial autonomic symptoms, remains a primary headache with an elusive pathophysiology. Recent advances have introduced effective treatments and broadened understanding of the clinical features of cluster headache. These features are similar in patients globally, but regional differences in prevalence and burden exist. International collaborations have led to identification of eight genetic loci associated with cluster headache. The pathophysiological mechanisms are still not fully understood but recent studies show that targeting the trigeminal autonomic reflex by neurostimulation, or targeting the neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), might lessen the attack burden. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved galcanezumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting CGRP, as the first specific preventive treatment for episodic cluster headache. However, a preventive effect was not replicated in chronic cluster headache, and the European Medicines Agency did not approve galcanezumab, restricting its availability in Europe. Owing to the low prevalence of cluster headache, continued collaboration through multicentre clinical trials and data sharing will be imperative for further breakthroughs in understanding and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja S Petersen
- Danish Headache Center and Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet-Glostrup, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nunu Lund
- Danish Headache Center and Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet-Glostrup, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peter J Goadsby
- National Institute for Health and Care Research King's Clinical Research Facility, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Andrea C Belin
- Centre for Cluster Headache, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Shuu-Jiun Wang
- Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; College of Medicine and Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Rolf Fronczek
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Mark Burish
- Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Soo-Jin Cho
- Department of Neurology, Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Hwaseong, South Korea
| | - Mario F P Peres
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil; Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rigmor H Jensen
- Danish Headache Center and Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet-Glostrup, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Cotton S, Andrews JS, Nichols RM, Jackson J, Tockhorn-Heidenreich A, Milligan G, Martinez JM. Clinical characteristics and treatment patterns of patients with episodic cluster headache: results from the United States, United Kingdom and Germany. Curr Med Res Opin 2023; 39:1637-1647. [PMID: 37615206 DOI: 10.1080/03007995.2023.2237741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe clinical characteristics and regional treatment patterns of episodic cluster headache (CH). METHODS A point-in-time survey of physicians and their patients with CH was conducted in the United States, United Kingdom and Germany in 2017. RESULTS Overall, 1012 patients with episodic CH were analyzed. Demographic and clinical findings were generally consistent across regions. Most patients were men (66.6%) and the mean age was 40.9 years. The greatest proportion of patients (38.3%) had ≤1 attack per day. The mean number of attacks per day (APD) was 2.4 and mean number of cluster periods per year was 2.6; the mean cluster period duration was 30.8 days. Most patients (69.3%) did not report a specific or predicable time when cluster periods occurred. Acute treatment was prescribed for 47.6% of patients, 10.3% of patients received preventive treatment, and 37.9% of patients received combined acute and preventive treatment; 4.2% of patients were not receiving treatment. Frequently prescribed acute treatments were sumatriptan, oxygen, and zolmitriptan; oxygen use varied considerably across countries and was prescribed least often in the United States. Frequently prescribed preventive treatments were verapamil, topiramate, and lithium. Lack of efficacy and tolerability were the most common reasons for discontinuing preventive treatment. CONCLUSIONS We observed high use of acute treatments, but only half of patients used preventive treatments despite experiencing several cluster periods per year with multiple cluster APD. Further studies about the need for and benefits of preventive treatment for episodic CH are warranted.
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Lund NLT, Petersen AS, Fronczek R, Tfelt-Hansen J, Belin AC, Meisingset T, Tronvik E, Steinberg A, Gaul C, Jensen RH. Current treatment options for cluster headache: limitations and the unmet need for better and specific treatments-a consensus article. J Headache Pain 2023; 24:121. [PMID: 37667192 PMCID: PMC10476341 DOI: 10.1186/s10194-023-01660-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM Treatment for cluster headache is currently based on a trial-and-error approach. The available preventive treatment is unspecific and based on few and small studies not adhering to modern standards. Therefore, the authors collaborated to discuss acute and preventive treatment in cluster headache, addressing the unmet need of safe and tolerable preventive medication from the perspectives of people with cluster headache and society, headache specialist and cardiologist. FINDINGS The impact of cluster headache on personal life is substantial. Mean annual direct and indirect costs of cluster headache are more than 11,000 Euros per patient. For acute treatment, the main problems are treatment response, availability, costs and, for triptans, contraindications and the maximum use allowed. Intermediate treatment with steroids and greater occipital nerve blocks are effective but cannot be used continuously. Preventive treatment is sparsely studied and overall limited by relatively low efficacy and side effects. Neurostimulation is a relevant option for treatment-refractory chronic patients. From a cardiologist's perspective use of verapamil and triptans may be worrisome and regular follow-up is essential when using verapamil and lithium. CONCLUSION We find that there is a great and unmet need to pursue novel and targeted preventive modalities to suppress the horrific pain attacks for people with cluster headache.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nunu Laura Timotheussen Lund
- Danish Headache Center, Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet-Glostrup, Valdemar Hansens Vej 5, 2600, Glostrup, Denmark.
- Department of Neurology, Sjællands Universitetshospital Roskilde, Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Anja Sofie Petersen
- Danish Headache Center, Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet-Glostrup, Valdemar Hansens Vej 5, 2600, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Rolf Fronczek
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Stichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederlands (SEIN), Sleep-Wake Centre, Heemstede, The Netherlands
| | - Jacob Tfelt-Hansen
- Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Andrea Carmine Belin
- Centre for Cluster Headache, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tore Meisingset
- Norwegian Advisory Unit On Headaches, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
- NorHEAD, Norwegian Headache Research Centre, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Erling Tronvik
- Norwegian Advisory Unit On Headaches, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
- NorHEAD, Norwegian Headache Research Centre, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Anna Steinberg
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neurology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Charly Gaul
- Charly Gaul, Headache Center, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Rigmor Højland Jensen
- Danish Headache Center, Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet-Glostrup, Valdemar Hansens Vej 5, 2600, Glostrup, Denmark
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