Cluster Headache and Other Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgias.

The trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias are a group of distinct primary headache disorders that share common characteristics of strict unilateral headache often accompanied by unilateral cranial autonomic features. Cluster headache is the most well-known example, but other than neurologists, practitioners often have limited familiarity with these disorders and treatment options. Delays in diagnosis are typical and treatment options remain suboptimal, associated with limited scientific research into these brain disorders.

Migraine Trigger Site Surgery is All Placebo.

Background: Over the last decade surgical treatments for migraine involving proposed trigger sites have been described and popularized by plastic surgeons in particular. Various related techniques aim to free up "trigger sites" by removal of small facial muscles or "decompressing" small facial nerves.

Discussion: The basis for migraine trigger site surgery is without merit.

Acupuncture is all placebo and here is why.

Background: Alternative and complementary medicines such as acupuncture remain popular with the general public and many clinicians. The term "integrative medicine" is often now used to describe this type of non-science-based medicine, which has become more of a faith-based method of practice, making it harder to challenge. Acupuncture is commonly used to treat headache along with just about any other symptom and condition known to man.

Pseudotumor cerebri pathophysiology.

Pseudotumor cerebri syndrome (PTCS) is an uncommon disorder of raised intracranial pressure of unknown etiology. The signs and symptoms have been well described but the pathogenesis remains a mystery. Most of the evidence suggests increased resistance to cerebrospinal fluid outflow as being pivotal to the disorder.

Cannabinoids and hallucinogens for headache.

Hallucinogens and most cannabinoids are classified under schedule 1 of the Federal Controlled Substances Act 1970, along with heroin and ecstacy. Hence they cannot be prescribed by physicians, and by implication, have no accepted medical use with a high abuse potential. Despite their legal status, hallucinogens and cannabinoids are used by patients for relief of headache, helped by the growing number of American states that have legalized medical marijuana.

Current concepts in refractory migraine.

The Refractory or Intractable Migraine (RM) patient has long been a challenge to all healthcare providers (HCP). Headache specialists have recognized this sub group of patients who remain refractory to treatment. Despite this recognition, there are no formal criteria that characterize RM.

Hallucinogens and cannabinoids for headache.

Most hallucinogens and cannabinoids fall into Federal Controlled Substances schedule 1, meaning they cannot be prescribed by practitioners, allegedly have no accepted medical use, and have a high abuse potential. The legal and regulatory status has inhibited clinical research on these substances such that there are no blinded studies from which to assess true efficacy. Despite such classification, hallucinogens and cannabinoids are used by patients with headache on occasion.

Causality assessment of serious neurologic adverse events following 2009 H1N1 vaccination.

Background: Adverse events occurring after vaccination are routinely reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). We studied serious adverse events (SAEs) of a neurologic nature reported after receipt of influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccine during the 2009-2010 influenza season. Investigators in the Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) network sought to characterize these SAEs and to assess their possible causal relationship to vaccination.

Pharmacological management of neuropathic pain in older adults: an update on peripherally and centrally acting agents.

The burden of neuropathic pain in older adults is great and the practitioner is challenged to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life. Many common neuropathic pain syndromes are more prevalent in the older population, and older adults also carry greater sensitivity to certain side effects. The health care professional should have a thorough familiarity with all medications available to treat this difficult group of disorders.

Adjuvant agents in cancer pain.

Cancer-related neuropathic pain derives from peripheral or central lesions of the nervous system and is often associated with the hallmark symptoms of allodynia (pain from a stimulus that does not normally evoke pain) and hyperalgesia (an exaggerated pain response to a normally painful stimulus). Pain is prevalent in patients with cancer and considerably undermines their quality of life, thereby making the development of a comprehensive pain management approach essential. Coanalgesics have been well integrated into cancer pain management strategies and are often used as first-line options for treatment of certain disease processes such as neuropathic pain.

Valsalva-induced cluster headache.

A case valsalva-induced cluster headache is presented. Cluster attacks induced by valsalva manoeuvres alone were only recently described, and such patients have features of cough headache and cluster headache. Attacks occurred a couple of times a week in the patient presented, solely triggered by valsalva manoeuvres including coughing, sneezing or straining and not by exercising.

Thunderclap headache from complicated sinusitis.

We report a case of complicated pansinusitis presenting with thunderclap headache. The patient quickly developed left ophthalmoplegia and imaging demonstrated extension of inflammation from the sphenoid sinus into the sellar region. Thunderclap headache is well known to occur from a variety of intracranial events, but complicated sinusitis presenting this way is seldom described.

Cluster headache pharmacotherapy.

Cluster headache is a well-known primary headache syndrome with a prevalence of about 5/10,000 of the adult population, making it much less common than migraine. Diagnostic terms such as histaminic cephalalgia, Horton's headache and ciliary neuralgia have been used for what is now known as cluster headache. This disorder can be differentiated from migraine by clinical and pathophysiologic features.

Topiramate in the treatment of cluster headache.

Cluster headache is a well-characterized, strictly unilateral headache with cranial autonomic features and can be classified as episodic or chronic. Cluster attacks reliably are short-lived, often have a clockwise regularity, and can occur daily for weeks or months during an active cluster period. Pharmacologic treatment for this disorder can be divided into abortive and prophylactic agents.