Effectiveness of low-dose riboflavin as a prophylactic agent in pediatric migraine

• Published in: Brain & development (Tokyo. 1979) 2020-08, Vol.42 (7), p.523-528
• Main Authors: Yamanaka, Gaku, Suzuki, Shinji, Takeshita, Mika, Go, Soken, Morishita, Natsumi, Takamatsu, Tomoko, Daida, Atsuro, Morichi, Shinichiro, Ishida, Yu, Oana, Shingo, Nara, Shonosuke, Shimura, Masaru, Nishimata, Shigeo, Kawashima, Hisashi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Child; Co-morbid headache; Comorbidity; Female; Headache; Headache Disorders, Secondary - epidemiology; Humans; Male; Migraine; Migraine Disorders - epidemiology; Migraine Disorders - physiopathology; Migraine Disorders - prevention & control; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Prevention; Prophylactic; Retrospective Studies; Riboflavin; Riboflavin - administration & dosage; Severity of Illness Index; Tension-Type Headache - epidemiology; Vitamin B Complex - administration & dosage
• ISSN: 0387-7604; 1872-7131
• DOI: 10.1016/j.braindev.2020.04.002

Riboflavin may prevent migraine episodes; however, there is limited evidence of its effectiveness in pediatric populations. This study investigated the effectiveness of riboflavin and clinical predictors of response in children with migraines. We retrospectively reviewed data from 68 Japanese children with migraines, of whom 52 also exhibited another type of headache. Patients received 10 or 40 mg/day of riboflavin. We evaluated the average migraine frequency per month as a baseline and after 3 months of riboflavin therapy to determine the effectiveness and clinical predictors of response. The frequency of migraine episodes was significantly lower at 3 months than at baseline (median, [interquartile range], 5.2 (3–7) vs. 4.0 (2–5); p