Migraine Disorders: Diener HC

Anonymous00401, Olesen J, Bousser MG, Diener HC, Dodick D, First M, Goadsby PJ, Göbel H, Lainez MJ, Lance JW, Lipton RB, Nappi G, Sakai F, Schoenen J, Silberstein SD, Steiner TJ. · Department of Neurology, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup Hospital, Demark. · Cephalalgia. · Pubmed #16686915 No free full text.

Abstract: After the introduction of chronic migraine and medication overuse headache as diagnostic entities in The International Classification of Headache Disorders, Second Edition, ICHD-2, it has been shown that very few patients fit into the diagnostic criteria for chronic migraine (CM). The system of being able to use CM and the medication overuse headache (MOH) diagnosis only after discontinuation of overuse has proven highly unpractical and new data have suggested a much more liberal use of these diagnoses. The International Headache Classification Committee has, therefore, worked out the more inclusive criteria for CM and MOH presented in this paper. These criteria are included in the appendix of ICHD-2 and are meant primarily for further scientific evaluation but may be used already now for inclusion into drug trials, etc. It is now recommended that the MOH diagnosis should no longer request improvement after discontinuation of medication overuse but should be given to patients if they have a primary headache plus ongoing medication overuse. The latter is defined as previously, i.e. 10 days or more of intake of triptans, ergot alkaloids mixed analgesics or opioids and 15 days or more of analgesics/NSAIDs or the combined use of more than one substance. If these new criteria for CM and MOH prove useful in future testing, the plan is to include them in a future revised version of ICHD-2.

Diener HC, Kurth T. · No affiliation provided · Neurology. · Pubmed #15883306 No free full text.

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Diener HC. · No affiliation provided · Curr Opin Neurol. · Pubmed #15167060 No free full text.

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Diener HC. · No affiliation provided · Cephalalgia. · Pubmed #11442549 No free full text.

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Schürks M, Diener HC. · Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Womens Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215-1204, USA. · Eur J Neurol. · Pubmed #19068510 No free full text.

Abstract: Allodynia--perception of pain from non-noxious stimuli--is a common clinical feature in various pain syndromes. The significance for migraine has increasingly been recognized and the pathophysiology has been investigated in detail. Allodynia is a marker for sensitization of central trigeminal neurons. Intensity and persistence of allodynic symptoms are a function of duration of migraine attacks, frequency of attacks, and migraine history. It has been hypothesized that treatment success with triptans may be severely impaired in the presence of allodynia. However, randomized controlled trials did not confirm that. Treatment with cyclooxygenase inhibitors and dihydroergotamine does not seem to be limited by allodynia; these medications may be able to reverse allodynia. Data on the new class of calcitonin-gene related-peptide antagonists are not yet available. Additional and more refined randomized controlled trials, focusing on methodological issues pertaining to the determination of allodynia, are warranted to resolve the true relationship between allodynia and treatment response. Regardless--based on available randomized controlled trials--the recommendation prevails to initiate abortive treatment as soon as possible after attack onset when pain is still mild.

Schürks M, Diener HC. · Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. · Nat Clin Pract Neurol. · Pubmed #19048002 No free full text.

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Diener HC, Küper M, Kurth T. · Dept. of Neurology and Headache Center, University Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany. · J Neurol. · Pubmed #18958572 No free full text.

Abstract: This review reports important co-morbid conditions of migraine and resulting consequences for the choice of acute and preventive treatments of migraine. Comorbidity in this context means the occurrence of two diseases in an individual beyond chance. The basis of comorbidity can be genetic and/or based on common environmental factors. In some cases, the temporal relationship is unclear and one disease can cause another disease. In order to prove a real comorbidity, large-scale and well-performed epidemiological studies are required.

Katsarava Z, Rabe K, Diener HC. · Department of Neurology, University of Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45122 Essen, Germany. · Intern Emerg Med. · Pubmed #18781406 No free full text.

Abstract: An association between migraine and ischemic stroke has been observed for many years but the exact mechanisms by which migraine can lead to stroke are currently still under investigation. Migraine seems to affect neurovascular factors and substances that increase the risk of stroke during and in between migraine attacks. Ischemic stroke can occur as a complication of an attack of migraine with aura. Epidemiological studies suggest that vascular risk factors are increased in migraineurs, thus increasing the incidence of stroke. Another important issue is a patent foramen ovale (PFO), which is a well-known risk factor for stroke and which, on the other hand, seems to be more frequent in migraineurs than in people without. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current literature linking the two neurological diseases: migraine and stroke.

Kurth T, Diener HC. · Division of Aging, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 1620 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02120, USA. · Curr Pain Headache Rep. · Pubmed #18778576 No free full text.

Abstract: The association between migraine and stroke is complex and is a continued focus of attention. Several observational studies have identified migraine as an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke. However, a distinction should be made between migraine with and migraine without aura. The migraine-stroke association is mostly apparent for young women with migraine with aura. The association between migraine with aura and stroke is weaker in older age groups, which may be due to the fact that traditional cardiovascular risk factors are more prominent with increasing age. Most studies have not found an association between migraine without aura and ischemic stroke. Although there are several hypotheses about the biologic link between migraine with aura and ischemic stroke, the precise mechanisms remain unclear. However, because the absolute risk of stroke is low in patients with migraine with aura, and migraine without aura is likely not associated with ischemic stroke, most migraine patients will not experience a stroke event.

Diener HC, Katsarava Z, Weimar C. · Department of Neurology and Headache Center, University Hospital Essen, Hufelendstrass 55, 45112 Essen, Germany. · Rev Neurol (Paris). · Pubmed #18760431 No free full text.

Abstract: Headache often accompanies acute ischemic stroke. Observational studies indicate that 15 to 40% of patients with acute ischemic stroke report headache in close temporal relation to the event. The onset headache is more often seen in posterior circulation strokes than in strokes in other vascular territories. Transient ischemic attacks (TIA) can also lead to headache. The pathophysiology of headache associated with acute ischemic stroke includes edema, hemorrhagic transformation, and changes in the trigeminovascular system.

Diener HC, Schorn CF, Bingel U, Dodick DW. · Department of Neurology, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany. · Cephalalgia. · Pubmed #18727647 No free full text.

Abstract: The best way to appreciate the efficacy of drug and behavioural therapy in the acute and prophylactic treatment of headache is to perform placebo-controlled randomized trials. In order to plan and conduct these studies in the most appropriate way, it is desirable to know which factors influence the placebo response. This paper reviews factors which influence the placebo response in clinical trials, such as expectation, blinding, route of application of drugs and age, gender and geographical distribution. Response rates of placebo in the treatment of acute headache episodes are higher than in headache prophylaxis. Invasive procedures such as injections have a higher placebo response compared with oral drugs. Variables known to influence the placebo response have to be taken into consideration to calculate properly the power of planned randomized trials.

Silberstein S, Diener HC, Lipton R, Goadsby P, Dodick D, Bussone G, Freitag F, Schwalen S, Ascher S, Morein J, Greenberg S, Biondi D, Hulihan J. · Thomas Jefferson University-Neurology, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA. · Headache. · Pubmed #18687081 No free full text.

Abstract: The term chronic daily headache refers to a heterogeneous group of headache disorders characterized by a frequency of headaches on > or = 15 days per month. Chronic migraine is a subtype of chronic daily headache. The prevalence of chronic migraine is approximately 1%. Baseline attack frequency and acute medication overuse have been identified as potential risk factors for the progression of migraine from an episodic disorder to a chronic condition. There is an unmet patient need for effective and safe treatments for patients with chronic migraine, but data from rigorous controlled trials are limited. Previous studies have demonstrated that topiramate is an effective and safe preventive treatment for episodic migraine. In addition, pilot studies have suggested the utility of topiramate for the prevention of chronic migraine. Two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trials investigating the efficacy and safety of topiramate in the treatment of patients with chronic migraine have recently been completed. This review presents comparative data from these 2 clinical trials, which suggest that topiramate at a dose of 100 mg daily is effective and generally well tolerated in chronic migraine.

Schürks M, Diener HC. · Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 900 Commonwealth Avenue East, 3rd fl, Boston, MA 02215-1204, USA. · Schmerz. · Pubmed #18600349 No free full text.

Abstract: Migraine pathophysiology is determined by genetic and environmental factors. Based on altered cerebral habituation and low serotonin levels, certain triggers can elicit a migraine attack. Following initial unspecific prodromi, an aura follows in many patients which most often consists of visual symptoms. Cortical spreading depression is the electrophysiological correlate of the aura and can activate the trigemino-vascular system. This is one potential mechanism initiating the pain process. The characteristic unilateral pulsating headache is caused by a neurogenic inflammation in the meninges. Neck pain as reported by some patients is a migraine-specific feature, the anatomical basis being the trigemino-cervical complex. Functional changes in the pain processing system maintain the headache. Among these are sensitization of trigeminal nucleus caudalis neurons and an altered antinociception descending from the periaquaductal grey. Triptans have a peripheral and central mode of action, but they are no longer effective once central sensitization has occurred.

Straube A, May A, Kropp P, Katsarava Z, Haag G, Lampl C, Sándor PS, Diener HC, Evers S. · Neurologische Klinik, Klinikum Grosshadern der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 München, Deutschland. · Schmerz. · Pubmed #18483751 No free full text.

Abstract: The criteria of the International Headache Society (IHS) define four different primary headache syndromes with daily chronic headaches: chronic migraine, episodic and chronic tension type headache, hemicrania continua, new daily persisting headache. A further important differential diagnosis is medication overuse headache (previously known as analgesia headache). The German, Austrian, and Swiss headache societies now present the first joint guidelines for therapy of these headache syndromes. The current literature was reviewed and a summary is presented. The therapy recommendations do not only include the scientific evidence but also the practical relevance.

Diener HC, Katsarava Z, Limmroth V. · Universitätsklinik für Neurologie und Westdeutsches Kopfschmerzzentrum, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45147, Essen, Germany. · Schmerz. · Pubmed #18219499 No free full text.

Abstract: Headaches are one of the most common disorders and symptoms in daily medical practice. The prevalence of migraine is 8% in men and 12-15% in women. Dramatic progress in the areas of epidemiology, pathophysiology, and acute and preventive therapy of migraine has been made over the past 100 years, with triptans being the breakthrough for treating acute migraine attacks. Beta blockers, calcium antagonists, and neuromodulators are available for preventive migraine therapy. Nonpharmacologic treatment also plays an important role in migraine prevention. New medical care structures such as integrated headache care provide better support for patients with migraine, particularly those with chronic migraine.

Endres HG, Diener HC, Molsberger A. · Ruhr University Bochum, Department of Medical Informatics, Statistics & Epidemiology, D-44801 Bochum, Germany. · Expert Rev Neurother. · Pubmed #17868011 No free full text.

Abstract: Since the last Cochrane review of acupuncture and headache in 2001, which found methodological and/or reporting shortcomings in the majority of the studies, several large, randomized trials on the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for headache have been published. Following a brief overview of the pathophysiology of migraine and possible action mechanisms of acupuncture, we look at current studies on acupuncture and migraine and discuss the results. From these results and our own studies on acupuncture and migraine, we conclude that a 6-week course of acupuncture is not inferior to a 6-month prophylactic drug treatment, but that specific Chinese point selection, point stimulation and needling depth are not as important as had been thought. The review suggests that acupuncture should be integrated into existing migraine therapy protocols.

Diener HC, Kurth T, Dodick D. · Department of Neurology, University Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45122 Essen, Germany. · Curr Pain Headache Rep. · Pubmed #17504652 No free full text.

Abstract: Results from several observational studies indicate an association between migraine and patent foramen ovale (PFO). Several biological mechanisms have been proposed to explain this link, including shared genetic inheritance. However, there is currently insufficient evidence to support a causal link between PFO and migraine. Although the results of uncontrolled observational studies suggest the PFO closure may have a beneficial effect on migraine frequency, a large randomized trial failed to support such a conclusion. Until there is more evidence from ongoing large controlled trials, PFO closure should not be performed in clinical practice for the prophylaxis of migraine.

Diener HC, Kurth T, Dodick D. · Department of Neurology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany. · Curr Opin Neurol. · Pubmed #17495626 No free full text.

Abstract: PURPOSE OF REVIEW: We will review the literature on the association between migraine with patent foramen ovale, stroke, and coronary heart disease. RECENT FINDINGS: The prevalence of patent foramen ovale in patients with migraine with aura is significantly higher than in nonmigraine controls and migraineurs without aura. However, there is currently no evidence to support a causal relationship. Migraine with aura has been consistently associated with increased risk of ischemic stroke in several epidemiologic studies. Migraine with aura is associated with a more unfavourable cardiovascular risk profile and recent data suggest that the association between migraine with aura and stroke may extend to overall cardiovascular disease. Identification of migraine patients at particular risk for stroke or other vascular events is impossible based on current knowledge. SUMMARY: Migraine with aura and patent foramen ovale have higher coincidences than expected by chance only. It is possible that both conditions are inherited together. Until now there has been no evidence from placebo-controlled randomized trials that closure of patent foramen ovale improves migraine with aura. There is increasing evidence that migraine with aura is not only a risk factor for ischemic stroke but also for myocardial infarction and other ischemic vascular events.

Goadsby PJ, Dodick DW, Almas M, Diener HC, Tfelt-Hansen P, Lipton RB, Parsons B. · Institute of Neurology, London, UK. · Cephalalgia. · Pubmed #17381558 No free full text.

Abstract: If treatment-emergent central nervous system (CNS) symptoms following triptan therapy represent direct pharmacological effects of the drug, they should occur independent of response to active drug. However, if they represent unmasking of neurological symptoms of the migraine attack after pain is relieved, they should be more common in responders both to active drug and to placebo. To explore this issue, we evaluated the relationship between the CNS adverse events and treatment response following triptan or placebo treatment. We used pooled data from seven double-blind, placebo-controlled trials involving eletriptan 20 mg (E20, n = 402), eletriptan 40 mg (E40, n = 1870), eletriptan 80 mg (E80, n = 1393), sumatriptan 100 mg (S100, n = 275) and placebo (Pbo, n = 1024). Somnolence was more prevalent among 2 h headache responders than non-responders for all treatments, including E80 (8.8% vs. 5.0%; P < 0.05), E40 (6.4% vs. 5.0%; NS), E20 (4.0% vs. 2.0%; NS), S100 (4.7% vs. 3.2%; NS) and Pbo (7.6% vs. 3.0%; P < 0.05). Similarly, the incidence of asthenia was higher among patients who responded to treatment compared with those who did not respond to E80 (15.2% vs. 7.8%; P < 0.05), E40 (6.5% vs. 3.6%; P < 0.05), E20 (6.5% vs. 1.0%; P < 0.05), S100 (10.1% vs. 4.7%; NS) and Pbo (4.4% vs. 2.7%; NS). The generally higher rates of somnolence and asthenia in patients who respond to treatment suggests that these treatment-emergent neurological symptoms may represent the unmasking of CNS symptoms associated with the natural resolution of a migraine attack, rather than simply representing drug-related side-effects. The rate of somnolence in placebo responders is comparable to that in responders to E40 and E80, indicating that somnolence is related, at least in some important part, to headache relief and not treatment.

Diener HC, Lampl C, Reimnitz P, Voelker M. · Department of Neurology, University Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45122, Essen, Germany. · Expert Rev Neurother. · Pubmed #16623655 No free full text.

Abstract: Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin or ASA) has been used for many years as an analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory drug. In recent years, evidence for its effectiveness in migraine headache has been demonstrated in several clinical trials. The effervescent highly buffered preparation of aspirin was shown to be effective, safe and well tolerated compared with placebo or other treatment options. The effervescent aspirin preparation is at least as effective as the combination of aspirin plus metoclopramide, but has fewer side effects. This review summarizes and analyzes clinical data of aspirin in the treatment of acute migraine attacks with respect to the different galenic formulations.

Diener HC, Limmroth V. · Universitätsklinik für Neurologie, Essen. · Internist (Berl). · Pubmed #15995849 No free full text.

Abstract: With more than 8 million sufferers in Germany alone, migraine is one of the most frequent medical disorders. Recent discoveries in the pathophysiology and genetics of headaches, as well as specific developments in pharmacology, have paved the way for a significant improvement in both acute migraine treatment and migraine prevention. Within the group of 5-HT(1B/D)-agonists (triptans), seven substances with 23 dosages and formulations have been approved in Germany that allow the customized treatment of migraine attacks. In addition, several new drugs such as valproic acid or topiramate are now available as drugs of first choice for migraine prevention, as well as the well established beta blockers, thus enabling the physician to tailor the preventative treatment according to the individual needs of the patient.

Yoon MS, Savidou I, Diener HC, Limmroth V. · University Hospital Essen, Department of Neurology, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45122 Essen, Germany. · Expert Rev Neurother. · Pubmed #15938666 No free full text.

Abstract: Migraine headache is a chronic, painful, disabling and potentially progressive, condition primarily occurring in early and middle adulthood. For many patients, daily activities are impaired by the sudden and unpredictable occurrence of migraine attacks. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the field of migraine treatment. For the acute treatment of migraine attacks, 5-hydroxytryptophan(1B/D) agonists (so called triptans), were the most innovative development, successfully aborting attacks in less than 1 h. The search for innovative drugs usable for migraine prevention, however, was less successful, mainly due to the lack of reliable and predictive animal models. Recently, neuromodulators such as valproic acid and topiramate, initially developed as anticonvulsants, have been shown in large clinical trials to be effective in the prevention of migraine. As for the acute treatment of migraine attacks more than 10 years ago, large clinical trial programs are now setting new standards for evidence-based medicine in migraine prevention. This review summarizes the current options in migraine prevention with special emphasis on clinical trial design and new developments such as topiramate.

Diener HC, Weimar C, Katsarava Z. · Department of Neurology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. · Curr Opin Neurol. · Pubmed #15891416 No free full text.

Abstract: PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In this article we aim to elucidate the relationship between patent foramen ovale, cryptogenic stroke and migraine. RECENT FINDINGS: Small observational and case-control studies indicate that patients with cryptogenic stroke have a higher incidence of patent foramen ovale. Prospective trials could not show a higher stroke recurrence risk with isolated patent foramen ovale. The combination of patent foramen ovale and atrial septal aneurysm might carry a higher recurrence risk. Secondary prevention with acetylsalicylic acid is as effective as oral anticoagulation, but carries a lower bleeding risk. Whether patent foramen ovale closure prevents recurrent strokes is under investigation. Case-control studies and retrospective analyses indicate comorbidity between patent foramen ovale and migraine, in particular migraine with aura. Recent retrospective studies indicate a reduction in migraine frequency after patent foramen ovale closure (intended for stroke prevention). These studies, however, have major methodological limitations. Therefore patent foramen ovale closure cannot be recommended for the prevention of migraine with aura. SUMMARY: At present routine percutaneous closure of isolated patent foramen ovale cannot be recommended for patients with cryptogenic stroke. Patent foramen ovale closure should not be used for the prevention of migraine.

Diener HC. · Department of Neurology, University of Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, D45122 Essen, Germany. · Expert Rev Neurother. · Pubmed #15853473 No free full text.

Abstract: Migraine is a highly prevalent, chronic and disabling illness in which the gap between practice guideline recommendations and actual clinical practice remains wide. Eletriptan, similar to other triptans, is a potent 5-HT(1B/1D) receptor agonist with a high selectivity for cranial versus coronary artery constriction and favorable pharmacokinetic profile. An extensive program of double-blind, placebo-controlled, head-to-head comparator trials has demonstrated the superior efficacy of eletriptan compared with the combination of ergotamine and caffeine, and selected oral triptans for the acute treatment of migraine. Eletriptans tolerability profile makes it a good choice as a first-line treatment of migraine. An early treatment study suggests that treatment of mild headache is associated with unusually high sustained pain-free rates and a tolerability profile that is equivalent to placebo.

Kavuk I, Katsarava Z, Selekler M, Sayar K, Agelink MW, Limmroth V, Diener HC. · Department of Neurology, University of Diusburg-Essen, Essen, Germany. · Eur J Med Res. · Pubmed #15689304 No free full text.

Abstract: Inappropriate use of headache medication (>15 times/month) for the treatment of headache episodes may contribute to the development of chronic headache which is refractory to most treatments. Physicians experienced in the treatment of migraine and other headaches are well aware that the daily intake of antipyretic or antiinflammatory analgesics, opioids, ergot alkaloids and "triptans" may result in chronic daily headache. Conversely, if a patient complains of chronic headache and takes pain medication every day, this headache is most likely to be caused and sustained by the medication and will vanish or improve with abstinence. Treatment includes drug withdrawal followed by structured acute therapy and initiation of migraine prophylactic treatment.