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Genetic factors do not contribute to susceptibility to migraine attacks induced by calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) or pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide-38 (PACAP38) This is the conclusion of four studies exploring factors that may be associated with the migraine response induced by these neuropeptides: Patients with a strong familial predisposition or a high number of migraine-associated …

A review of studies concludes that there is currently very little controlled evidence to support the use of non-invasive neuromodulation devices in any headache condition, including migraine. The authors report that: The role of vagal nerve stimulation (nVNS) in the prophylactic treatment of cluster headache is supported only by open-label evidence and evidence is limited …

There are no significant differences in headache frequency or headache-related disability in childhood and adolescent migraine between amitriptyline, topiramate or placebo when given over 24 weeks. The active drugs are also associated with higher rates of adverse events. These are the conclusions of a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that included 361 patients aged 8 to …

CADASIL (cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy) must be considered in the differential diagnosis of migraine with aura. This advice is based on a review of current literature. The authors report that: The presenting symptom of CADASIL is often migraine with aura, but clinical manifestations include migraine with and without aura, cognitive …

Mood disorders in adolescence are associated with a greater likelihood of migraine, according to an analysis of data from the observational Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS). The CCHS is a large, cross-sectional health survey sampling a nationally representative group of Canadians. This study analysed data from this observational study on all 61,375 participants aged 12-19 …

Subtle signs of cognitive dysfunction are present in patients with migraine, according to an Italian study involving untreated patients with migraine without aura. The study compared 72 healthy controls with 72 consecutive migraine without aura patients referred to the outpatient headache clinic at the University of Naples. During an attack-free period, patients and controls were …

Six months daily vitamin supplementation does not lower homocysteine levels or the occurrence of migraine in women with migraine with aura, according to a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The study included 300 White Australian women aged 18-60. The women had suffered migraine for over >5 years, had a current diagnosis of migraine with aura (>90 % …

People who stop consuming caffeine-containing drinks are likely to derive more benefit from triptan treatment for acute migraine, according to an uncontrolled prospective study from South Korea. The study included 108 migraine patients who reported daily consumption of caffeine-containing drinks, including coffee, tea, cola and energy drinks. The patients were instructed to discontinue their caffeine …

A hospital registry study reports that people with a history of migraine are at increased risk of perioperative ischaemic stroke and also have an increased 30-day hospital readmission rate. The prospective study included 124,558 surgical patients (mean age 52.6 years; 54.5% women) treated at Massachusetts General Hospital and two satellite campuses between January 2007 and …

In patients with acute migraine, analgesics and opioids are associated with a higher risk of developing medication overuse headache compared with other, more specific treatments, according to an analysis of 29 studies. The analysis included studies of varying design that reported on medicine overuse headache according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD). The …

Calcitonin gene-related peptide monoclonal antibodies (CGRP mAbs) are a safe and effective preventive treatment for episodic migraine. This is the conclusion of a meta-analysis of four randomised controlled trials including 1198 patients, identified by a systematic database search of studies published up to 2 April 2016. The pooled estimate showed that, when compared with placebo, …

The latest report from the Global Burden of Disease Study, GBD 2015, shows that world-wide, migraine is in the top 10 causes of years lived with disability (YLDs), especially among those aged 45-64 years. Migraine also ranked within the top 6 causes of YLDs among younger individuals, including adolescents (aged 15 years or more). The …

People with migraine have a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease, most notably, stroke. A contributing factor may be an increased propensity for the development of the metabolic syndrome, defined as a clustering of cardiovascular risk factors, specifically hypertension, insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia and central adiposity. The current study adds further evidence for this association, specifically in …