Headache
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The prevalence and burden of migraine and other severe headaches in the US population as a whole is well documented. Prevalence and treatment patterns in US racial and ethnic minorities, however, have received less attention. We sought to assemble and compare this information as identified in large, nationally representative studies. ⋯ In the United States, migraine prevalence is highest among Native Americans, then Whites, followed closely by Hispanics and Blacks. Asians have the lowest prevalence of severe, frequent headache or migraine of the major racial or ethnic groups. Differences in diagnosis and treatment of headache and migraine may indicate racial and ethnic disparities in access and quality of care for minority patients.
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Cluster headache (CH) is commonly regarded as one of the most disabling headache conditions, and referred to as one of the most painful conditions known to humankind. Although there has been some research indicating the severe impact of CH, there is little comprehensive evidence of its impact on quality of life, disability, mood, and cognitive function in both its episodic (ECH) and chronic (CCH) variants. ⋯ Patients with CH show worse working memory, disturbance of mood, and poorer quality of life compared with healthy controls. The differences between patients with ECH and CCH, and the implications of these findings for the management of CH are discussed.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Differential pharmacokinetics of diclofenac potassium for oral solution vs immediate-release tablets from a randomized trial: effect of fed and fasting conditions.
To compare the pharmacokinetics of, and food effect on, diclofenac potassium delivered as an oral solution vs an immediate-release tablet. ⋯ Diclofenac potassium oral solution and tablet formulations produced statistically significantly different Cmax and tmax but similar AUC under fed and fasting conditions. Fed conditions produced significantly lower Cmax for both formulations and profoundly delayed tmax for the tablet, but had no effect on tmax for the solution formulation. These data provide insights into the importance of an earlier and greater exposure to diclofenac arising from the solution formulation than the tablet, which may account for the superiority in the onset and sustained pain reduction for the solution than the tablet formulation observed in the double-blind, efficacy/safety study in migraine patients conducted in Europe.
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Several studies have presented evidence that blocking peripheral nerves is effective for the treatment of some headaches and cranial neuralgias, resulting in reduction of the frequency, intensity, and duration of pain. ⋯ The nerve block can be used in primary (migraine, cluster headache, and nummular headache) and secondary headaches (cervicogenic headache and headache attributed to craniotomy), as well in cranial neuralgias (trigeminal neuropathies, glossopharyngeal and occipital neuralgias). In some of them this procedure is necessary for both diagnosis and treatment, while in others it is an adjuvant treatment. The block of the greater occipital nerve with an anesthetic and corticosteroid compound has proved to be effective in the treatment of cluster headache. Regarding the treatment of other headaches and cranial neuralgias, controlled studies are still necessary to clarify the real role of peripheral nerve block.
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In Brazil, several epidemiological studies on headache have been produced, most with an emphasis on prevalence and the association of primary headaches with some sociodemographic characteristics of the population. Data on the burden of headache, however, are scarce. The aim of this paper is to review all Brazilian population-based studies on headache, as well as to analyze the Migraine Disability Assessment Score (MIDAS) data collected with the PhD thesis of the senior author (LPQ). ⋯ The mean prevalence of headache in Brazil, and some of its subtypes, is similar to the rates described in other countries of the world. Disability is higher in females, in patients with migraine, in individuals with headaches ≥15 days per month, and in those with severe head pain.