J Headache Pain. 2009 Aug;10(4):259-63. Epub 2009 Jun 3.
Lateralization in cluster headache: a Nordic multicenter study.

Meyer EL, Laurell K, Artto V, Bendtsen L, Linde M, Kallela M, Tronvik E, Zwart JA, Jensen RM, Hagen K.

Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Neurology at Karolinska Insitutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

A slight predominance of cluster pain on the right side has been reported in several studies. The aim of this large retrospective Nordic multicenter study was to estimate the prevalence of right- and left-sided pain in cluster headache (CH) patients with side-locked pain, the prevalence of side shifts in episodic and chronic CH patients, and the occurrence of cranial autonomic symptoms related to pain side.

AMONG 383 CLUSTER PATIENTS, 55 (14%) HAD EXPERIENCED PAIN SIDE SHIFT. OF THE REMAINING 328 INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT SIDE SHIFT, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE OCCURRENCE OF RIGHT-SIDED AND LEFT-SIDED PAIN (54 VS. 46%). THE PREVALENCE OF SIDE SHIFT WAS SIMILAR FOR EPISODIC AND CHRONIC CH AND THE OCCURRENCE OF CRANIAL AUTONOMIC SYMPTOMS WAS NOT INFLUENCED BY THE PAIN SIDE. In conclusion, previous reports of a side difference in location of cluster pain could not be confirmed in this large Nordic sample.

Publication Types:
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

PMID: 19495933 [PubMed]

By side shift are you referring to the attacks switching sides?  If so I can say it really matters a lot!  I get better than 95% of my hits on the right side, but when they hit occasionally on the left they are MUCH more intense.  I'm not sure what to attribute this to, but believe it is because my learned responses to the attacks on the right don't translate to the left as readily.  Probably because I'm right handed and am not as coordinated with the left hand.  Also because I understand what is going on when it is on the right and the attack is centered differently when it occurs on the left.  

Hope I made sense.  

Jerry

Callico wrote on Aug 7^th, 2009 at 1:56am:

By side shift are you referring to the attacks switching sides?  If so I can say it really matters a lot!

I believe Bob wasn't just saying so what it doesn't matter for us when it happens, just stating the results of the article...

What I read into it - I read this article "Lateralization in Cluster Headache" to be referring directly to switching sides, yes!!!  I know you are talking more about how it affects you Jerry due to your learned responses to how you deal with the hits.  It sure does matter in that regard!!!  On a side not there, I am right handed but have predominantly left-sided CH - I have learned to respond accordingly.  When I get the occasional right-side hit (which just started three weeks ago  :o) it has been cRaZY - even though I am right handed.  Think what hand you write with has little to do with it, it is just what you learned to deal with.

What I got from reading the abstract, however, is that 14% of the 338 people had experienced the hits switching sides!!  This is not even a quarter of the population, but is no small #!   The "SO WHAT" is that it isn't determined or affected by whether you are episodic, chronic, or by other factors along the way ~ the occurrence of other autonomic symptoms (tearing, nose running/ blocked, red or swollen eye, sweating, etc) according to this study. ?

Appears they were trying to prove/ disprove that there was some difference between the two sides based on previous reports - but were inconclusive in results.   :P

Just what I got out of his short abstract ... I would have to pull up the journal and read more to get the full story, of course!  

Val

When I post an abstract, without any comment from me, it means: I'm not saying anything--only posting a report which is interesting. The reader is free--actually, must--provide the understanding according to their reading of the material.

"So what?" has no real meaning. I was just feeling a big flip at the moment. <bg>

Bob Johnson wrote on Aug 7^th, 2009 at 4:26pm:

When I post an abstract, without any comment from me, it means: I'm not saying anything--only posting a report which is interesting. The reader is free--actually, must--provide the understanding according to their reading of the material. "So what?" has no real meaning. I was just feeling a big flip at the moment. <bg>

LOL - here's another version of "so what?" .... yeah, clusterheads have known that for a while.  Good that the medical community is recording it in their literature as well.

Bob Johnson wrote on Aug 6^th, 2009 at 9:13am:

AMONG 383 CLUSTER PATIENTS, 55 (14%) HAD EXPERIENCED PAIN SIDE SHIFT. OF THE REMAINING 328 INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT SIDE SHIFT, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE OCCURRENCE OF RIGHT-SIDED AND LEFT-SIDED PAIN (54 VS. 46%). THE PREVALENCE OF SIDE SHIFT WAS SIMILAR FOR EPISODIC AND CHRONIC CH AND THE OCCURRENCE OF CRANIAL AUTONOMIC SYMPTOMS WAS NOT INFLUENCED BY THE PAIN SIDE. In conclusion, previous reports of a side difference in location of cluster pain could not be confirmed in this large Nordic sample. Publication Types: Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't PMID: 19495933 [PubMed]

Little confused here, does this mean that the symptoms switch sides along with the pain, or, that they do not? (It's probably my intracranial pressure being up that has me confused, rather than the text.)