Chronic daily headache in children and adolescents: science and conjecture

Current perspectives on the development and treatment of chronic daily headache in children and adolescents

Headache disorders subsumed under the term chronic daily headache (CDH), including chronic migraine, chronic tension-type headache and new daily persistent headache, affect up to 4% of the pediatric population and can be highly disabling and challenging to effectively treat. Although historically the knowledge base about this group of headache disorders in children primarily was derived from clinical observation and extrapolation from adult studies, over the past several years there have been important research findings relevant to the development and management of pediatric CDH that can help inform clinical practice. The intent of this paper is to provide a focused review on recent empirical work done on pediatric CDH and suggest avenues for future work.

Fifteen minute consultation: an approach to the child with chronic headaches

Children with chronic headache are a common referral to paediatric outpatients. This article suggests an approach to the assessment and management of chronic headaches, offering practical strategies for management as there is limited literature in paediatrics for this.

Perspectives on the clinical significance of functional pain syndromes in children

Functional pain syndromes (FPS) characterize a subset of individuals who experience pain and related symptoms and disability without clear structural or disease etiology. In the pediatric population, FPS hold high clinical importance due to significant prevalence rates and potential to persist into adulthood. Although extensive research has been executed to disambiguate FPS, the syndromes that fall within its spectrum remain conceptually complex and sometimes ill-defined. This paper provides an overview of available research on the classification and multifaceted etiology of FPS in youth and their effects on interpersonal, psychological, and familial function. Vital aspects of a successful multidisciplinary approach to treating this population are described; however, it is evident that future research requires more longitudinal studies.