Browse by Audience
Headache disorders are highly prevalent worldwide, but not well investigated in adolescents. Few studies have included representative nationwide samples. This study aimed to present the prevalence and burden of recurrent headache in Australian adolescents.
Learn More >Migraine is one of the most common neurological disorders characterized by recurrent attacks of typically throbbing and unilateral headaches, affecting up to 20 % of the population worldwide. Despite the high prevalence and severity of this primary headache disorder, it remains to be a challenge to fully understand and treat migraine headaches. By characterizing and validating a mouse migraine model, this study aimed to investigate the functional contribution of PKC isoforms in migraine. In this study, we identified the presence of migraine-like ongoing pain in mice after chronic intermittent treatment with nitroglycerin (NTG). The peptide antagonist of calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) α-CGRP (8-37), but not topiramate nor sumatriptan, effectively blocked ongoing pain and elicited pain relief-induced CPP in NTG-treated mice. Prominent activation of PKCδ was observed in chronic NTG-treated mice. Functional inhibition of PKCδ significantly attenuated ongoing spontaneous pain in chronic NTG-treated mice. Furthermore, we recapitulated the NTG-triggered migraine behavior in wild-type, but not in PKCδ-null mice. In response to repeated administration of NTG, ongoing spontaneous pain was not developed in mice lacking the specific PKC isoform. This study identified the presence of ongoing pain in mice treated with nitroglycerin, a known human migraine trigger that closely resembles the common manifestation of spontaneous migraine attacks in humans. These findings demonstrated a critical regulatory role of PKCδ in migraine pathophysiology, which may offer new pharmacological targets for anti-migraine treatment.
Learn More >The hypothalamus is one of the key structures involved in the pathophysiology of cluster headaches. This study aimed to analyze the volume of hypothalamic subunits and structural covariance networks in the hypothalamus of patients with cluster headache.
Learn More >Patients with episodic migraine (EM) with a higher-frequency of migraine headache days (HFEM: 8-14 migraine headache days/month) have a greater disease burden and a higher risk of progressing to chronic migraine (CM) with associated acute treatment overuse versus those with low-frequency EM (LFEM: 4-7 migraine headache days/month). In this post hoc analysis, we assessed the proportions of patients who shifted from HFEM to LFEM and to very low-frequency EM (VLFEM: 0-3 migraine headache days/month) status following treatment with galcanezumab versus placebo.
Learn More >New daily persistent headache (NDPH) is a primary headache disorder characterized by an intractable, daily, and unremitting headache lasting for at least 3 months. Currently, there are limited studies in the pediatric population describing the characteristics of NDPH.
Learn More >Migraine is a complex genetic brain disorder with an intricate pathogenesis and polymorphous clinical presentations, particularly in children. In this Perspective, we describe the different phenotypes of migraine in children, including conditions that have been referred to in the International Classification of Headache Disorders as "syndromes that may be related to migraine''. Evidence is presented for the integration of abdominal migraine, cyclical vomiting syndrome, benign paroxysmal vertigo, benign paroxysmal torticollis and infantile colic into the unified diagnosis of 'childhood migraine syndrome' on the basis of clinical and epidemiological characteristics, and shared inheritance. In our opinion, such integration will guide clinicians from specialities other than neurology to consider migraine in the assessment of children with these disorders, as well as stimulate research into the genetics, pathophysiology and clinical features of all disorders within the syndrome. A diagnosis of childhood migraine syndrome would also enable patients to benefit from inclusion in clinical trials of old and new migraine treatments, thus potentially increasing the number of treatment options available.
Learn More >: Erenumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting the receptor of calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP), is the first disease-specific and mechanism-based treatment approved for the prevention of migraine. Although the safety and tolerability data from randomized trials are clear, the physiological effects of CGRP rise reasonable concerns. We aimed to evaluate the current evidence for safety and tolerability related to erenumab use in migraine.: This review outlines the severe adverse events (AEs), common AEs, AEs leading to treatment discontinuation and AEs of special interest, reported in all phase 2, phase 3, open label and observational studies with erenumab in migraine. Individual safety reports were also included in the systematic review of evidence.: No safety and tolerability flags were detected in this review. The most common AE are local skin reactions and constipation. No severe AEs, or frequent AEs leading to treatment discontinuation were detected. Treatment is well tolerated. The only AE of interest that may play a role in decision making and treatment monitoring is constipation. These findings are in line with previous safety reports, further highlighting the substantial tolerability and safety profile of the modern anti-CGRP monoclonal antibodies for the prevention of migraine.
Learn More >