Antiepileptic Drugs for the Treatment of Chronic and Episodic Cluster Headache: A Review

Cluster headache needs to be rapidly diagnosed and effectively managed, as the individual headache attacks that are characteristic of this disorder are excruciatingly painful and debilitating. Preventive therapies are necessary to reduce the frequency of attacks during the cluster period. However, p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Headache 2007-01, Vol.47 (1), p.81-89
Main Authors: Pascual, Julio, Láinez, Miguel J.A., Dodick, David, Hering-Hanit, Rachel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amines - therapeutic use
Anticonvulsants - therapeutic use
antiepileptic
Biological and medical sciences
Cardiovascular system
cluster headache
Cluster Headache - physiopathology
Cluster Headache - prevention & control
Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids - therapeutic use
divalproex sodium/sodium valproate
Fructose - analogs & derivatives
Fructose - therapeutic use
gabapentin
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid - therapeutic use
headache
Headache. Facial pains. Syncopes. Epilepsia. Intracranial hypertension. Brain oedema. Cerebral palsy
Humans
Medical sciences
Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes)
Neurology
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Receptors, GABA - physiology
topiramate
Treatment Outcome
Valproic Acid - therapeutic use
Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system
Vasodilator agents. Cerebral vasodilators
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Description
Summary:Cluster headache needs to be rapidly diagnosed and effectively managed, as the individual headache attacks that are characteristic of this disorder are excruciatingly painful and debilitating. Preventive therapies are necessary to reduce the frequency of attacks during the cluster period. However, preventive therapy for this disorder is limited by a lack of controlled evidence of efficacy and the potential for systemic toxicity. Recent progress has been made in understanding both the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying cluster headache and the mechanisms of action of the antiepileptic drug class for the treatment of primary headache syndromes. Newly available preliminary clinical trial data evaluating antiepileptic drugs for the prevention of cluster headache suggest that these agents may be effective and that further evaluation in randomized, placebo‐controlled trials is warranted.
ISSN:0017-8748
1526-4610
DOI:10.1111/j.1526-4610.2007.00653.x