Improving to Four or Fewer Monthly Headache Days Per Month Provides a Clinically Meaningful Therapeutic Target for Patients with Chronic Migraine.

INTRODUCTION: Treatment target goals for patients receiving preventive migraine treatment are complicated to assess and not achieved by most patients. A headache "number" could establish an understandable treatment target goal for patients with chronic migraine (CM). This study investigates the clinical impact of reduced headache frequency to ≤ 4 monthly headache days (MHDs) as a treatment-related migraine prevention target goal. METHODS: All treatment arms were pooled for analysis from the PROMISE-2 trial evaluating eptinezumab for the preventive treatment of CM. Patients (N = 1072) received eptinezumab 100 mg, 300 mg, or placebo. Data for the 6-item Headache Impact Test (HIT-6), Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC), and acute medication use days were combined for all post-baseline assessments and analyzed by MHD frequency (≤ 4, 5-9, 10-15, > 15) in the 4 weeks preceding assessment. RESULTS: Based on pooled data, the percentage of patient-months with ≤ 4 MHDs associated with "very much improved" PGIC was 40.9% (515/1258) versus 22.9% (324/1415), 10.4% (158/1517), and 3.2% (62/1936) of patient-months with 5-9, 10-15, and > 15 MHDs, respectively. Rates of patient-months with ≥ 10 days of acute medication use were 1.9% (21/1111, ≤ 4 MHDs), 4.9% (63/1267, 5-9 MHDs), 49.5% (670/1351, 10-15 MHDs), and 74.1% (1232/1662, > 15 MHDs). Of patient-months with ≤ 4 MHDs, 37.1% (308/830) were associated with "little to none" HIT-6 impairment versus 19.9% (187/940), 10.1% (101/999), and 3.7% (49/1311) of patient-months with 5-9, 10-15, and > 15 MHDs, respectively. CONCLUSION: Participants improving to ≤ 4 MHDs reported less acute medication use and improved patient-reported outcomes, suggesting that 4 MHDs may be a useful patient-centric treatment target when treating CM. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT02974153) ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02974153 ).

Headache in the elderly.

Headache is the most common neurologic symptom and affects nearly half the world's population at any given time. Although the prevalence declines with age, headache remains a common neurologic complaint among elderly populations. Headaches can be divided into primary and secondary causes. Primary headaches comprise about two-thirds of headaches among the elderly. They are defined by clinical criteria and are diagnosed based on symptom pattern and exclusion of secondary causes. Primary headaches include migraine, tension-type, trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias, and hypnic headache. Secondary headaches are defined by their suspected etiology. A higher index of suspicion for a secondary headache disorder is warranted in older patients with new-onset headache. They are roughly 12 times more likely to have serious underlying causes and, frequently, have different symptomatic presentations compared to younger adults. Various imaging and laboratory evaluations are indicated in the presence of any "red flag" signs or symptoms. Head CT is the procedure of choice for acute headache presentations, and brain MRI for those with chronic headache complaints. Management of headache in elderly populations can be challenging due to the presence of multiple medical comorbidities, polypharmacy, and differences in drug metabolism and clearance.

Tension-type headache.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article provides an update on the appropriate diagnosis and evaluation of patients with tension-type headache, with reviews of the latest concepts regarding pathogenesis and the evidence-based recommendations for management of this disorder. RECENT FINDINGS: Pericranial myofascial mechanisms are probably of importance in episodic tension-type headache, whereas sensitization of central nociceptive pathways and inadequate endogenous antinociceptive circuitry seem to be more relevant in chronic tension-type headache. While acute treatment with simple analgesics is generally helpful, recent data attempting to document the efficacy of preventive therapies are unconvincing. SUMMARY: Tension-type headache is the most common form of headache in the general population. It is characterized by recurrent episodes of headache that are relatively featureless and mild to moderate in intensity. The diagnosis is based solely on the history and examination. Exclusion of secondary headaches or forms of migraine is important in the assessment process. Despite extensive investigation, the underlying pathophysiology remains a matter of speculation, with peripheral muscular and CNS components both likely involved. Acute management with simple analgesics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and caffeine-containing compounds is typically effective. Preventive therapies include a number of nonpharmacologic recommendations as well as several antidepressant drugs. Prognosis is generally favorable.

Symptomatic treatment of migraine: when to use NSAIDs, triptans, or opiates.

OPINION STATEMENT: Migraine is a biologic disorder of the brain characterized by a heterogeneous array of symptoms and episodes of disabling headache. By definition, such attacks last between 4 and 72 h without treatment, with the disability arising from a variety of factors including severe pain, gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea or vomiting, and sensory sensitivities to light, noise, or odor. All these features may be exacerbated by stimulation, motion, or activity, often rendering the patient completely immobile. Although retreat and rest, coupled with local application of ice, may provide some measure of comfort, most of those with migraine hunt for therapeutic solutions. In designing acute headache treatment strategies, it is imperative for clinicians to recognize the variability between individuals in the frequency, intensity, and duration of attacks. Certain patients require more aggressive options. It is also crucial to identify the significant intra-individual variability of migraine; most patients describe an assortment of headaches of different intensities and time to disability. Less intense episodes, which patients often term sinus, tension, or regular headaches, usually represent milder versions of migraine, simplifying both diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Evidence-based guidelines and clinical experience support the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the management of mild to moderate migraine attacks. Recommend migraine-specific agents (triptans and dihydroergotamine) when the attacks are more severe or have consistently failed to respond to the use of NSAIDs in the past. Encourage those with less frequent episodic migraine to use their acute agents at the earliest signs of headache. Advise those with frequent headache (>10 days per month) to limit acute treatments to only the most disabling episodes in order to avoid the "medication overuse" phenomenon. Consider rescue or back-up therapy. Do not use compounds containing butalbital or opiates (or place extreme limits on them), out of concern for progression to chronic migraine.

Basilar-type migraine.

Initially described more than 40 years ago, basilar-type migraine has posed diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas for medical practitioners. Defined by the coexistence of migraine headache with neurological symptoms emanating from either the brainstem or simultaneously from both cerebral hemispheres, basilar-type migraine has been categorized as "atypical" or "complicated" and has been considered more akin to hemiplegic migraine than to migraine with typical aura. Despite the absence of any data convicting basilar-type migraine as a vasospastic condition, the use of triptans in such patients has been considered prohibited. This review focuses on the diagnosis, clinical presentation, available genetic information, and treatment considerations in patients with basilar-type migraine.

Tension-type Headache in the Elderly.

Tension-type headache is the most common primary headache disorder seen in adults. Although the prevalence peaks in the fourth and fifth decades of life, significant fractions of the elderly continue to experience either episodic or chronic tension-type headaches. Many secondary headache disorders may present with headaches symptomatically compatible with the diagnosis of tension-type headache. Because numerous secondary headache disorders are more likely to be seen in older adults, the diagnosis of tension-type headache requires vigilance for and exclusion of organic disease. Once the diagnosis of tension-type headache is made, numerous nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic management options are available to reduce the frequency and severity of episodes. Special dosing considerations must be considered in the elderly. Advancing age is a positive prognostic factor in the remission of episodic and chronic tension-type headaches.

Tension-type headache in the elderly.

Tension-type headache is the most common primary headache disorder seen in adults. Although the prevalence peaks in the fourth and fifth decades of life, significant fractions of the elderly continue to experience either episodic or chronic tension-type headaches. Many secondary headache disorders may present with headaches symptomatically compatible with the diagnosis of tension-type headache. Because numerous secondary headache disorders are more likely to be seen in older adults, the diagnosis of tension-type headache requires vigilance for and exclusion of organic disease. Once the diagnosis of tension-type headache is made, numerous nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic management options are available to reduce the frequency and severity of episodes. Special dosing considerations must be considered in the elderly. Advancing age is a positive prognostic factor in the remission of episodic and chronic tension-type headaches.

Migraine headaches: treatment limitations and opportunities.

In recent years, migraine treatment options have expanded to the extent that the practicing clinician now has a myriad of pharmacologic agents in varied drug classes and delivery systems from which to choose. Drug classes most commonly employed for treatment of migraine attacks include non-migraine-specific agents, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), opioids, barbiturates, combination analgesics, and antiemetics, and migraine-specific agents, such as triptans and ergot alkaloids and derivatives. Delivery options range from conventional, orally disintegrating, and rapid-release tablets to injection, nasal spray, and suppository. The US Headache Consortium offers guidelines classifying migraine treatments into different groups based on evidence of clinical benefit (Table 1). Clinicians must be aware of the advantages and limitations of each class and delivery system and possible opportunities to improve their usefulness in different clinical contexts.

Migraine and tension-type headache: an assessment of challenges in diagnosis.

The difficulty in distinguishing episodic tension-type headache from migraine headache is widely acknowledged. The misdiagnosis of migraine as tension-type headache has potentially significant consequences because it may preclude patients with disabling headaches from receiving appropriate treatment. This article explores the symptomatologic, epidemiologic, and pathophysiologic relationships among migraine and tension-type headaches with the aim of elucidating ways to improve their diagnosis and treatment. Clinical, epidemiologic, and pharmacologic data converge to suggest that rigid adherence to the IHS criteria in diagnosing migraine and tension-type headache may result in misdiagnosis of some headaches. Many migraine attacks are accompanied by tension headache-like symptoms, such as neck pain. Conversely, IHS-defined tension-type headaches are often accompanied by migraine-like symptoms, such as photophobia or phonophobia and aggravation by activity. The health-care provider caring for patients with headache should be cognizant of these overlaps and their implications for the management of patients with headache.