Disease duration of episodic migraine correlates with modified amplitudes and habituation of contingent negative variation.

Cortical habituation in episodic migraine patients without medication overuse headache (MOH), recorded by contingent negative variation (CNV), is often reduced compared with healthy controls. There is evidence that with longer duration of migraine disease (DOD) amplitudes and habituation of CNV become progressively abnormal. The aim of the study was to examine habituation characteristics of contingent negative variation in episodic migraine patients suffering from short- and long-lasting migraine compared to matched healthy controls. 32 migraine patients without aura and without MOH diagnosed according to the revised ICHD-II criteria and 16 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included. According to DOD, the total sample of migraine patients was divided into two groups (group a: DOD <121 months, n = 17 subjects, group b: DOD >120 months, n = 15 subjects). Both migraine groups did not differ in the number of days of migraine and the duration of attacks. Overall CNV and initial CNV differed significantly between migraine patients and controls, whereas the former produced more negative amplitudes. In the migraine group lack of or deficient habituation occurred, whilst controls showed habituation. There were middle range correlations between the DOD and overall CNV, initial CNV, and y-intercept. Patients suffering from long-lasting migraine produced higher CNV amplitudes with a higher y-intercept. The results are interpreted as "maladaptive plasticity" with a risen intercept in long-lasting migraine.

Time-dependent post-imperative negative variation indicates adaptation and problem solving in migraine patients.

According to the Seligman theory of learned helplessness, depression is caused by a repetitive experience of loss of control resulting in internal, stable and global attributional styles for negative events. In depressed patients and healthy controls experiencing such events, an increased amplitude of the post-imperative negative variation (PINV) has been described. The aim of the study was to investigate a possible correlation between migraine, depression, learned helplessness and PINV. 24 patients suffering from migraine without aura and 24 healthy controls were exposed to a situation of loss of control whilst the contingent negative variation (CNV) from C3, C4 and Cz were recorded. Before conducting the experiment, the subjects were asked to answer the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the German attributional style questionnaire (GASQ). Amplitudes of total CNV, early and late component and PINV were calculated in eight blocks of four recordings each. The results confirm findings of a pronounced PINV in situations of loss of control, though high amplitudes were not correlated with low values in the GASQ and therefore with learned helplessness. High PINV in migraine patients correlated with high scores in the BDI and the list of the complaints questionnaire. However, this was not the case in healthy controls. In this experimental situation, PINV in migraine patients can be interpreted as an expectancy potential in order to avoid failure and helplessness.

Outcomes of a headache-specific cross-sectional multidisciplinary treatment program.

AIM: Chronic headache is a disabling disorder that is frequently poorly managed in general clinical practice. OBJECTIVES: To investigate primary (headache frequency in days/month) and secondary (headache-related disability, lost work/school time, anxiety and depression, amount and intake frequency of acute medication) 12-month outcomes of a headache-specific cross-sectional outpatient and inpatient multidisciplinary treatment program using a dedicated computer system for data collection and corresponding between integrated care team in a tertiary headache center and practicing headache specialists. BACKGROUND: A need for integrated headache care using comprehensive and standardized assessment for diagnosis of headache, psychiatric comorbidity, and burden of disease exists. There are little published data on long-term efficacy of multidisciplinary treatment programs for chronic headache. DESIGN: A prospective, observational, 12-month, follow-up study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Prospectively recruited consecutive patients with frequent difficult-to-treat headaches (n = 201; 63 migraine, 11 tension-type headache, 59 combined migraine/tension-type headache, and 68 medication overuse headache) were enrolled. Outcome measures included prospective headache diaries, a medication survey, Migraine Disability Assessment, 12-item short form health survey, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. RESULTS: The primary outcome of a reduction of ≥50% of headache frequency (days/month) was observed in 62.7%. Mean headache frequency decreased from 14.4 ± 8.2 to 7.6 ± 8.3 days/month, P < .0001. Secondary outcomes improved significantly in the total cohort and all headache subgroups. Predictors for good outcome were younger age, few days lost at work/school, and familiarity with progressive muscle relaxation therapy at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: The present analysis provided support for a cross-sectional multidisciplinary integrated headache-care program.

Cerebrovascular response to valsalva maneuver: methodology, normal values, and retest reliability.

PURPOSE: To provide reference values of cerebrovascular reactivity measured with transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in response to rapid changes in blood pressure during the late straining phase (IIb) of a Valsalva maneuver (VM). METHODS: Middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity, arterial blood pressure changes, and end-tidal partial carbon dioxide pressure (pCO(2) ) concentrations were simultaneously and noninvasively measured in 60 healthy subjects. Centro-peripheral Valsalva ratio was calculated by the quotient of cerebrovascular reactivity and peripheral arterial blood pressure response to VM during phase IIb. Age dependency and short- and long-term reliability of indices were evaluated. Correlation between the autonomic response and changes of pCO(2) was calculated. RESULTS: Centro-peripheral Valsalva ratio was higher in younger healthy subjects, whereas peripheral autonomic reactivity appeared age-independent. There was no correlation between dynamic autoregulatory response and pCO(2) . Short- and long-term measurements of autoregulatory indices showed excellent reliability. CONCLUSIONS: VM is a suitable maneuver to evaluate dynamic autonomic response using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography and noninvasive arterial blood pressure monitoring. Autonomic response during VM does not depend on pCO(2) . Normal human subjects show age-dependent centro-peripheral autoregulatory response.

Validation of criterion-based patient assignment and treatment effectiveness of a multidisciplinary modularized managed care program for headache.

This prospective observational study evaluates the validity of an algorithm for assigning patients to a multidisciplinary modularized managed care headache treatment program. N = 545 chronic headache sufferers [migraine (53.8 %), migraine + tension type (30.1 %), tension type (8.3 %) or medication overuse headache (6.2 %), other primary headaches (1.5 %)] were assigned to one of four treatment modules differing with regard to the number and types of interventions entailed (e.g., medication, psychological intervention, physical therapy, etc.). A rather simple assignment algorithm based on headache frequency, medication use and psychiatric comorbidity was used. Patients in the different modules were compared with regard to the experienced burden of disease. 1-year follow-up outcome data are reported (N = 160). Headache frequency and analgesic consumption differed significantly among patients in the modules. Headache-related disability was highest in patients with high headache frequency with/without medication overuse or psychiatric comorbidity (modules 2/3) compared to patients with low headache frequency and medication (module 0). Physical functioning was lowest in patients with chronic headache regardless of additional problems (modules 1/2/3). Psychological functioning was lowest in patients with severe chronicity with/without additional problems (module 2/3) compared to headache suffers with no/moderate chronicity (module 0/1). Anxiety or depression was highest in patients with severe chronicity. In 1-year follow-up, headache frequency (minus 45.3 %), consumption of attack-aborting drugs (minus 71.4 %) and headache-related disability decreased (minus 35.9 %). Our results demonstrate the clinical effectiveness and the criterion validity of the treatment assignment algorithm based on headache frequency, medication use and psychiatric comorbidity.

Multidisciplinary integrated headache care: a prospective 12-month follow-up observational study.

This prospective study investigated the effectiveness of a three-tier modularized out- and inpatient multidisciplinary integrated headache care program. N = 204 patients with frequent headaches (63 migraine, 11 tension-type headache, 59 migraine + tension-type headache, 68 medication-overuse headache and 3 with other primary headaches) were enrolled. Outcome measures at baseline, 6- and 12-month follow-ups included headache frequency, Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), standardized headache diary and a medication survey. Mean reduction in headache frequency was 5.5 ± 8.5 days/month, p < 0.001 at 6 months' follow-up and 6.9 ± 8.3 days/month, p < 0.001 after 1 year. MIDAS decreased from 53.0 ± 60.8 to 37.0 ± 52.4 points, p < 0.001 after 6 months and 34.4 ± 53.2 points, p < 0.001 at 1 year. 44.0 % patients demonstrated at baseline an increased HAD-score for anxiety and 16.7 % of patients revealed a HAD-score indicating a depression. At the end of treatment statistically significant changes could be observed for anxiety (p < 0.001) and depression (p < 0.006). The intake frequency of attack-aborting medication decreased from 10.3 ± 7.3 days/month at admission to 4.7 ± 4.1 days/month, p < 0.001 after 6 months and reached 3.8 ± 3.5 days/month, p < 0.001 after 1 year. At baseline 37.9 % of patients had experience with non-pharmacological treatments and 87.0 % at 12-month follow-up. In conclusion, an integrated headache care program was successfully established. Positive health-related outcomes could be obtained with a multidisciplinary out- and inpatient headache treatment program.

Cerebrovascular response in migraineurs during prophylactic treatment with acupuncture: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: The study objective was to evaluate the effect of acupuncture on cerebrovascular response in migraineurs by transcranial Doppler ultrasound. DESIGN: This study was a randomized, quasi double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. SUBJECTS: Thirty-five (35) migraineurs were diagnosed according to the International Headache Society criteria. The stimulus paradigm was performed in 18 verum and 17 placebo acupuncture patients. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were treated with acupuncture according to Traditional Chinese Medicine recommendations. All patients received one session of acupuncture each week for 8 weeks. OUTCOME MEASURES: To evaluate the clinical effect of acupuncture treatment, headache frequency and intensity was monitored by a headache diary. Cerebral blood flow velocity data were analyzed with a validated technique based on automated stimulus-related averaging. Vasotonus was determined by systolic and mean flow velocities and pulsality index in right and left middle cerebral arteries during rest. Cerebrovascular response was evaluated by detecting the cerebrovascular Valsalva ratio by maximum end-diastolic flow velocity acceleration during the straining phase of a Valsalva maneuver. Additionally, the centroperipheral Valsalva ratio was determined by the quotient of the cerebrovascular ratio to the corresponding blood pressure acceleration. RESULTS: Pre-/post-acupuncture treatment comparisons between verum- and placebo- acupuncture groups demonstrated a significant decrease of days with migraine headache in the verum group (-52.5%; p<0.001), whereas placebo-acupuncture patients profited to a smaller extent and the duration of headache attack (hours/month) did not decrease significantly. Pretreatment recordings showed increased vasotonus and exaggerated cerebrovascular response in migraineurs. Pre-/post-treatment comparisons demonstrated no significant differences in vasotonus between groups, while cerebrovascular response patterns to Valsalva stimulus were significantly (p<0.001) diminished in verum-acupuncture patients, but not in the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that prophylactic treatment of migraineurs by standardized acupuncture might positively influence the dysfunction of the cerebrovascular response to autonomic stimuli, but not the cerebral vasotonus during rest.

Frovatriptan in the practice of office-based neurologists/pain therapists: Results of postmarketing surveillance study ALADIN.

INTRODUCTION: Large postmarketing surveillance (PMS) studies have demonstrated the efficacy and tolerability of frovatriptan for treatment of acute migraine in patients attending general practitioners (GPs). The aim of the ALADIN (Allegro Anwendung durch interessierte Neurologen [Allegro application by interested neurologists]) PMS study was to evaluate frovatriptan in patients attending neurologists or pain therapists. METHODS: Patients fulfilling International Headache Society criteria for migraine, with or without aura, were enrolled. Patients completed an attack diary, including details of the attack, time to onset of action of frovatriptan, and recurrence of headache. Physicians completed a case report form detailing prior and actual migraine treatment. Frovatriptan 2.5 mg was administered for up to three consecutive attacks. RESULTS: In total, 2160 patients were enrolled and data were obtained for 5831 attacks. Patients attending neurologists had more frequent attacks and longer history of migraine compared with those attending GPs. Median time to frovatriptan onset of action was 40 min and time to freedom from headache 70 min. An average of 1.2 frovatriptan tablets was required per attack, and mean additional analgesic use was 0.13. Recurrent headache occurred in 13.6%-15.5% of patients. Physicians as well as patients judged frovatriptan onset and duration of action as at least "good" in approximately 80% of attacks. A similar number judged the efficacy of frovatriptan against headache as "better" than previous treatment. The study drug was generally well tolerated. The frequency of adverse events was 0.6%. CONCLUSION: Frovatriptan, with fast onset of action and low rate of headache recurrence, was efficacious and well accepted by migraineurs attending neurologists or pain therapists. Approximately 80% of patients wished to continue migraine treatment with frovatriptan.