Combining treatments for migraine prophylaxis: the state-of-the-art.

Combination treatments for migraine prophylaxis present a promising approach to addressing the diverse and complex mechanisms underlying migraine. This review explores the potential of combining oral conventional prophylactics, onabotulinumtoxin A, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) pathway, and small molecule CGRP receptor antagonists (gepants). Among the most promising strategies, dual CGRP inhibition through mAbs and gepants may enhance efficacy by targeting both the CGRP peptide and its receptor, while the combination of onabotulinumtoxin A with CGRP treatments offers synergistic pain relief.

Microbiota alterations are related to migraine food triggers and inflammatory markers in chronic migraine patients with medication overuse headache.

Objective: Chronic migraine (CM) patients with medication overuse headache (MOH) were recently shown to be associated with leaky gut and inflammation. We aimed to investigate gut microbiota profiles of CM patients with MOH, and their correlations with inflammatory serum parameters, migraine food triggers, and comorbid anxiety and depression.

Materials And Methods: The study included women participants (32 CM patients with NSAID overuse headache, and 16 healthy non-headache sufferers).

Leaky gut and inflammatory biomarkers in a medication overuse headache model in male rats.

Background/aim: Medication overuse is common among chronic migraine patients and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the most frequently overused drugs. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying medication overuse headache (MOH) are not completely understood. Intestinal hyperpermeability and leaky gut are reported in patients using NSAIDs.

Lipopolysaccharide, VE-cadherin, HMGB1, and HIF-1α levels are elevated in the systemic circulation in chronic migraine patients with medication overuse headache: evidence of leaky gut and inflammation.

Objective: Medication overuse headache (MOH) was recently shown to be associated with leaky gut in rodents. We aimed to investigate whether chronic migraine (CM) patients with MOH have elevated lipopolysaccharide levels and inflammatory molecules in blood circulation.

Materials And Methods: The study included women participants (40 CM patients with NSAID overuse headache, 35 episodic migraine (EM) patients, and 20 healthy non-headache sufferers).

What to do with non-responders to CGRP(r) monoclonal antibodies: switch to another or move to gepants?

In this editorial we aim to provide potential therapeutic options in patients who do not benefit from treatment with CGRP(r) monoclonal antibodies. Based on current real-life studies and analysis of practical and economic aspects, we will analyze the potential benefits of changing CGRP-targeted treatment.

Placebo and nocebo in the treatment of migraine: How much does real world effectiveness depend on contextual effects?

Purpose: Treatments in medicine impact individuals beyond their intended effects, due to phenomena such as the placebo and nocebo effects. The placebo effect arises from the positive expectation of a treatment being beneficial, while the nocebo effect stems from the negative expectation of a treatment causing harm. Both in real-world practice and clinical trials, treatments can lead to outcomes unrelated to their intended mechanism of action, which we categorize as placebo and nocebo responses.

Medication overuse headache is associated with elevated lipopolysaccharide binding protein and pro-inflammatory molecules in the bloodstream.

Objective: Medication overuse headache (MOH) is a secondary headache that accompanies chronic migraine. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the most frequently used analgesics worldwide and they are known to induce leaky gut. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether NSAID induced MOH is associated with altered circulating lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) levels and inflammatory molecules.

Distinct Food Triggers for Migraine, Medication Overuse Headache and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is an under-diagnosed common health problem that impairs quality of life. Migraine and IBS are comorbid disorders that are triggered by foods. We aim to investigate IBS frequency in medication overuse headache (MOH) patients and identify food triggers and food avoidance behavior.

IVIg-induced headache: prospective study of a large cohort with neurological disorders.

Background: Intravenous immune globulin (IVIg) is frequently used in some neurological diseases and is also the first-line therapy in Guillain-Barré syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, and multifocal motor neuropathy. We aimed to evaluate the frequency and characteristics of headaches, which is one of the most common side effects of IVIg treatment.

Methods: Patients who received IVIg treatment for neurological diseases were prospectively enrolled in 23 centers.

Visual temporal discrimination is impaired in patients with migraine without aura.

Background And Objective: Dysfunctional sensory processing is described in migraine. This study aimed to evaluate visual perception in patients with migraine without aura using the visual temporal discrimination (VTD) test.

Methods: A total of 45 participants were enrolled in this prospective exploratory study.

Cluster Analysis Revealed Two Hidden Phenotypes of Cluster Headache.

Objective: To investigate the possible subgroups of patients with Cluster Headache (CH) by using K-means cluster analysis.

Methods: A total of 209 individuals (mean (SD) age: 39.8 (11.

Migraine susceptibility is modulated by food triggers and analgesic overuse via sulfotransferase inhibition.

Background/aim: Certain constituents in migraine food triggers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) inhibit sulfotransferases (SULTs) that detoxify drugs/chemicals and play role in the metabolism of neurotransmitters. We aimed to dissect SULT1A1 modulation of CSD susceptibility and behavior in an in vivo experimental model using hesperidin, a SULT1A1 inhibitor found in citrus fruits (known migraine triggers) and mefenamic acid (SULT1A1 inhibitor), an NSAID to simulate medication overuse.

Methods: Hesperidin was used as SULT1A1 inhibitor found in citrus fruits, known migraine triggers and mefenamic acid (NSAID), another SULT1A1 inhibitor, was used to induce MO in rats.

CADASIL mutations sensitize the brain to ischemia via spreading depolarizations and abnormal extracellular potassium homeostasis.

Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy, subcortical infarcts, and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is the most common monogenic form of small vessel disease characterized by migraine with aura, leukoaraiosis, strokes, and dementia. CADASIL mutations cause cerebrovascular dysfunction in both animal models and humans. Here, we showed that 2 different human CADASIL mutations (Notch3 R90C or R169C) worsen ischemic stroke outcomes in transgenic mice; this was explained by the higher blood flow threshold to maintain tissue viability compared with that in wild type (WT) mice.

Updated review on the link between cortical spreading depression and headache disorders.

: Experimental animal studies have revealed mechanisms that link cortical spreading depression (CSD) to the trigeminal activation mediating lateralized headache. However, conventional CSD as seen in lissencephalic brain is insufficient to explain some clinical features of aura and migraine headache.: The importance of CSD in headache development including dysfunction of the thalamocortical network, neuroinflammation, calcitonin gene-related peptide, transgenic models, and the role of CSD in migraine triggers, treatment options, neuromodulation, and future directions are reviewed.

Aura and Head pain: relationship and gaps in the translational models.

Migraine is a complex brain disorder and initiating events for acute attacks still remain unclear. It seems difficult to explain the development of migraine headache with one mechanism and/or a single anatomical location. Cortical spreading depression (CSD) is recognized as the biological substrate of migraine aura and experimental animal studies have provided mechanisms that possibly link CSD to the activation of trigeminal neurons mediating lateralized head pain.

Reduced Short-Latency Afferent Inhibition Indicates Impaired Sensorimotor Integrity During Migraine Attacks.

Background And Objective: Migraine attacks disrupt sensory information processing and may also disturb sensorimotor integration. This prospective pilot study aimed to assess the sensorimotor integration and inhibitory circuitry in the sensorimotor cortex using short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI) paradigm in migraine.

Methods: Twenty-five migraine without aura patients (10 interictal, 5 preictal, 10 ictal) and 16 healthy controls were enrolled.

The effect of medial longitudinal arch height and medial longitudinal arch support insoles on postural balance in perimenopausal women.

Background/aim: Changes in balance and postural control have been reported during the perimenopausal period. We investigated the effect of medial longitudinal arch height and medial arch support insoles on postural sway and balance in middle-aged perimenopausal women.

Materials And Methods: 29 women with normal arches and 29 women with low arches were included in the study.

Behavioral and cognitive animal models in headache research.

Animal models have provided a growing body of information about the pathophysiology of headaches and novel therapeutic targets. In recent years, experiments in awake animals have gained attention as more relevant headache models. Pain can be assessed in animals using behavioral alterations, which includes sensory-discriminative, affective-emotional and cognitive aspects.

Somatosensory temporal discrimination is impaired in fibromyalgia.

Objective: Fibromyalgia is the prototypical central sensitivity syndrome which is associated with increased sensitivity to pain and other stimuli. In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether somatosensory temporal discrimination ability, which provides information about central processing of sensory stimuli, was impaired in patients with fibromyalgia.

Methods: Fifteen patients with fibromyalgia and 15 healthy subjects participated in the study.

Cognitive dysfunction and migraine.

Cognitive dysfunction has recently gained attention as a significant problem among migraine sufferers. All of the clinical studies show poor cognitive performance during migraine attacks, though, the interictal data are conflicting. Migraineurs show impaired cognitive function interictally in most of the clinic-based studies.

Analysis of mirror neuron system activation during action observation alone and action observation with motor imagery tasks.

This study aimed to explore the relationship between action observation (AO)-related corticomotor excitability changes and phases of observed action and to explore the effects of pure AO and concurrent AO and motor imagery (MI) state on corticomotor excitability using TMS. It was also investigated whether the mirror neuron system activity is muscle-specific. Fourteen healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study.

Visual and Postural Motion-Evoked Dizziness Symptoms Are Predominant in Vestibular Migraine Patients.

Background: Vestibular migraine (VM) is one of the most common underdiagnosed disorders. We aimed to study the clinical characteristics of VM patients who were referred to a neurology-headache unit by otolaryngology after exclusion of peripheral causes of vertigo.

Methods: One hundred and one patients diagnosed with VM in the headache unit were included.

MR Tractography in Short Lasting Unilateral Neuralgiform Headache Attacks with Conjunctival Injection and Tearing (SUNCT) Patients: Case Reports.

Background: Short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attack with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT) is one of the trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias where neurovascular compression was detected in neuroimaging in recent years.

Case: We report two cases, a 52-year-old adult and a 69-year-old elderly patient with short-lasting and recurrent headache combined with cranial autonomic features. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and magnetic resonance (MR) tractography of both patients outlined structural changes of the trigeminal nerve revealing neurovascular compression.