The efficacy of botulinum toxin A treatment for tension-type or cervicogenic headache: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized, placebo-controlled trials

The effectiveness of botulinum toxin for chronic tension-type headache prophylaxis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

A systematic and meta-analysis was conducted to examine the evidence of the effects of botulinum toxin A on chronic tension-type headache.

METHODS

Cochrane, Embase, Ovid, ProQuest, PubMed, Scopus, Web-of-Science databases, and ClinicallTrials.gov registry were systematically searched for studies examining the effects of botulinum toxin A on tension-type headaches. The records were screened by two independent reviewers using pre-determined eligibility criteria. DerSimonian Liard random-effects meta-analyses were performed using the 'meta' package (5.2-0) in R (4.2.0). Risk of bias and quality of evidence were assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's Tool RoB 2 and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. Clinical significance was determined using pre-defined minimal clinically important differences.

RESULTS

Eleven controlled trials were included (390 botulinum toxin A, 297 controls). Botulinum toxin A was associated with significant improvements in standardized headache intensity (-0.502 standard deviations [-0.945, -0.058]), headache frequency (-2.830 days/month [-4.082, -1.578]), daily headache duration (-0.965 [-1.860, -0.069]) and the frequency of acute pain medication use (-2.200 days/month [-3.485, -0.915]) vs controls. Botulinum toxin A-associated improvements exceeded minimal clinically important differences for headache intensity, frequency, and acute pain medication use. A 79% (28%, 150%) greater response rate was observed for botulinum toxin A vs controls in improving chronic tension-type headache. Treatment of eight chronic tension-type headache patients was sufficient to elicit a therapeutic response in one patient.

CONCLUSIONS

Corroborating the current mechanistic evidence, our meta-analysis supports the utility of botulinum toxin A for managing chronic tension-type headaches. However, due to limitations in the quality of evidence, adequately-powered high-quality controlled trials examining the effects of Botulinum toxin A on chronic tension-type headache are warranted.

REGISTRATION

Protocol preregistered in PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42020178616).

Botulinum Toxin—A Current Place in the Treatment of Chronic Migraine and Other Primary Headaches

Headaches are a very common condition that most people will experience many times during their lives. This article presents the primary headaches, which are a large group of diseases where the headache is not a symptom of another known disease. Tension-type headache affects approximately 80% of the general population, and the prevalence of migraine is estimated at 10–12%. Clinical data and experience to date have demonstrated that botulinum toxin may be an effective prophylactic treatment for chronic headache types. It has been used in neurology for the treatment of dystonia and blepharospasm. Now it has been approved to treat chronic migraine and has been shown to confer significant benefit in refractory cases. Based on clinical experience botulinum toxin has also been tried in other headache disorders. While it is intuitively attractive to think that due to its effect on pain by sensory modulation, there may also be efficacy in its use in chronic tension-type headache and cluster headache, so far, there is little evidence to support this. Botulinum toxin is effective in pain control through its interaction with the SNARE complex, which inhibits the release of neurotransmitters, such as glutamate, substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide. OnabotulinumtoxinA is effective not only in headache frequency and pain intensity but in other parameters, including quality of life.