Headache
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Headache-specific self-efficacy refers to patients' confidence that they can take actions that prevent headache episodes or manage headache-related pain and disability. According to social cognitive theory, perceptions of self-efficacy influence an individual's adaptation to persistent headaches by influencing cognitive, affective, and physiological responses to headache episodes as well as the initiation and persistence of efforts to prevent headache episodes. ⋯ As predicted, patients who were confident they could prevent and manage their headaches also believed that the factors influencing their headaches were potentially within their control. In addition, self-efficacy scores were positively associated with the use of positive psychological coping strategies to both prevent and manage headache episodes and negatively associated with anxiety. Multiple regression analyses revealed that headache severity, locus-of-control beliefs, and self-efficacy beliefs each explained independent variance in headache-related disability.
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The coexistence of chronic paroxysmal hemicrania and trigeminal neuralgia is called chronic paroxysmal hemicrania-tic syndrome. We describe the case of a man who has suffered both types of pain occurring synchronously but with different localization on the ipsilateral side. ⋯ To the best of our knowledge, this is the third case to be reported, the first in the male sex. We review this new disorder and discuss the pathophysiology.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Solubilized ibuprofen: evaluation of onset, relief, and safety of a novel formulation in the treatment of episodic tension-type headache.
To evaluate the relative efficacy of a new solubilized formulation of ibuprofen compared with acetaminophen caplets. ⋯ Although several other studies have demonstrated the overall analgesic superiority of ibuprofen to acetaminophen, this study demonstrated that the liquigel formulation also provides a clinically relevant advantage for time to analgesic effects.
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Clinical Trial
Effectiveness of amitriptyline in the prophylactic management of childhood headaches.
To study the effectiveness of a standardized dose of amitriptyline, 1 mg/kg, for childhood headaches. ⋯ Amitriptyline is an effective prophylactic medication for children with frequent headaches. A standardized dosing regimen results in a significant number of children responding with minimal side effects. The children are able to tolerate this dosing scheme and demonstrate good adherence to a dosing schedule of once a day.