Post by Bob_Johnson on Sep 3rd, 2009 at 11:12am
Lithium has a good track record for chronic. Don't be put off by reading about side effects; used wisely, it's an effective med.
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J Headache Pain. 2005 Feb;6(1):3-9. Epub 2005 Jan 25.
Chronic cluster headache: a review.
Favier I, Haan J, Ferrari MD.
Department of Neurology, K5-Q Leiden University Medical Centre, 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.
Cluster headache (CH) is a rare but severe headache disorder characterised by repeated unilateral head pain attacks accompanied by ipsilateral autonomic features. In episodic CH, there are periods of headache attacks with pain-free intervals of weeks, months or years in between. A minority of patients have the chronic form, without pain-free intervals between the headache attacks. Chronic CH can occur as primary or secondary chronic CH; the rarest form is episodic CH arising from chronic CH. In this article, we give a review of the chronic forms of CH and focus on demographics, clinical manifestations, social habits, predictive factors, head injury, genetics, neuroimaging and therapy. IT IS REMARKABLE THAT LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT RISK FACTORS THAT MAKE CH CHRONIC.
Publication Types:
Review
PMID: 16362185 [PubMed]
--------------
Refractory chronic headache associated with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.
Mitsikostas DD, Vikelis M, Viskos A.
Athens Naval Hospital, Neurology Department, Athens, Greece.
The aim was to investigate the comorbidity of chronic refractory headache with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAs). Seventy-two patients (51 women and 21 men) with chronic and refractory headaches, whose headache occurred during sleep or whose sleep was accompanied by snoring, were submitted to polysomnography. Patients diagnosed with OSAs (respiratory disturbance index > 10) began continuous positive airway pressure (C-PAP) treatment and were followed up for >/= 6 months. Twenty-one cases of OSAs were identified (29.2% of the total investigated, 13.7% of the women and 66.6% of the men). Headaches were classified into several headache disorders, medication overuse headache and cluster headache being the most prevalent (nine and six of the 21 cases, respectively). In one case (1.4% of the total sample, 4.7% of all the men), the criteria for hypnic headache were fulfilled. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that age, male gender and body mass index were associated with OSAs. C-PAP TREATMENT IMPROVED BOTH SLEEP APNOEA AND HEADACHE IN ONLY A THIRD OF THE CASES. Patients suffering from chronic refractory headache associated with sleep or snoring, in particular those who are also middle-aged, overweight men, should be considered for polysomnography. C-PAP treatment alone does not seem to improve headache, but further investigation is needed.
PMID: 17999682 [PubMed]
--------
Neurology. 2006 Nov 28;67(10):1844-5.
Acute hypothalamic stimulation and ongoing cluster headache attacks.
Leone M, Franzini A, Broggi G, Mea E, Cecchini AP, Bussone G.
Department of Neurology and Headache Centre, Istituto Nazionale Neurologico Carlo Besta, via Celoria 11, 20133 Milano, Italy. leone@istituto-besta.it
Long-term hypothalamic stimulation is effective in improving drug-resistant chronic cluster headache (CH). We assessed acute hypothalamic stimulation to resolve ongoing CH attacks in 16 patients implanted to prevent chronic CH, investigating 136 attacks. A pain intensity reduction of > or =50% occurred in 25 of 108 evaluable attacks (23.1%). Acute hypothalamic stimulation is not effective in resolving ongoing CH attacks, suggesting that hypothalamic stimulation acts by complex mechanisms in CH prevention.
Publication Types:
Evaluation Studies
PMID: 17130420 [PubMed]
========
Explore this site, using the search function....
START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to
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ALL NEW!! HEADACHE 2008-2009
The new 72 page Headache 2008-2009 is hot off the press! Click here to download the PDF instantly! (free)
If you would like a bound copy, send $12 (includes shipping) to
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---------
J Headache Pain. 2005 Feb;6(1):3-9. Epub 2005 Jan 25.
Chronic cluster headache: a review.
Favier I, Haan J, Ferrari MD.
Department of Neurology, K5-Q Leiden University Medical Centre, 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.
Cluster headache (CH) is a rare but severe headache disorder characterised by repeated unilateral head pain attacks accompanied by ipsilateral autonomic features. In episodic CH, there are periods of headache attacks with pain-free intervals of weeks, months or years in between. A minority of patients have the chronic form, without pain-free intervals between the headache attacks. Chronic CH can occur as primary or secondary chronic CH; the rarest form is episodic CH arising from chronic CH. In this article, we give a review of the chronic forms of CH and focus on demographics, clinical manifestations, social habits, predictive factors, head injury, genetics, neuroimaging and therapy. IT IS REMARKABLE THAT LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT RISK FACTORS THAT MAKE CH CHRONIC.
Publication Types:
Review
PMID: 16362185 [PubMed]
--------------
Refractory chronic headache associated with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.
Mitsikostas DD, Vikelis M, Viskos A.
Athens Naval Hospital, Neurology Department, Athens, Greece.
The aim was to investigate the comorbidity of chronic refractory headache with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAs). Seventy-two patients (51 women and 21 men) with chronic and refractory headaches, whose headache occurred during sleep or whose sleep was accompanied by snoring, were submitted to polysomnography. Patients diagnosed with OSAs (respiratory disturbance index > 10) began continuous positive airway pressure (C-PAP) treatment and were followed up for >/= 6 months. Twenty-one cases of OSAs were identified (29.2% of the total investigated, 13.7% of the women and 66.6% of the men). Headaches were classified into several headache disorders, medication overuse headache and cluster headache being the most prevalent (nine and six of the 21 cases, respectively). In one case (1.4% of the total sample, 4.7% of all the men), the criteria for hypnic headache were fulfilled. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that age, male gender and body mass index were associated with OSAs. C-PAP TREATMENT IMPROVED BOTH SLEEP APNOEA AND HEADACHE IN ONLY A THIRD OF THE CASES. Patients suffering from chronic refractory headache associated with sleep or snoring, in particular those who are also middle-aged, overweight men, should be considered for polysomnography. C-PAP treatment alone does not seem to improve headache, but further investigation is needed.
PMID: 17999682 [PubMed]
--------
Neurology. 2006 Nov 28;67(10):1844-5.
Acute hypothalamic stimulation and ongoing cluster headache attacks.
Leone M, Franzini A, Broggi G, Mea E, Cecchini AP, Bussone G.
Department of Neurology and Headache Centre, Istituto Nazionale Neurologico Carlo Besta, via Celoria 11, 20133 Milano, Italy. leone@istituto-besta.it
Long-term hypothalamic stimulation is effective in improving drug-resistant chronic cluster headache (CH). We assessed acute hypothalamic stimulation to resolve ongoing CH attacks in 16 patients implanted to prevent chronic CH, investigating 136 attacks. A pain intensity reduction of > or =50% occurred in 25 of 108 evaluable attacks (23.1%). Acute hypothalamic stimulation is not effective in resolving ongoing CH attacks, suggesting that hypothalamic stimulation acts by complex mechanisms in CH prevention.
Publication Types:
Evaluation Studies
PMID: 17130420 [PubMed]
========
Explore this site, using the search function....
START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to
or END PRINTPAGEALL NEW!! HEADACHE 2008-2009
The new 72 page Headache 2008-2009 is hot off the press! Click here to download the PDF instantly! (free)
If you would like a bound copy, send $12 (includes shipping) to
Robbins Headache Clinic
1535 Lake Cook Rd.
Suite 506
Northbrook, Ill.60062
OR call 847-480-9399 to use Visa or Mastercard.