European journal of neurology : the official journal of the European Federation of Neurological Societies
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Early management of patients with medication-overuse headache: results from a multicentre clinical study.
Educational intervention has proved to be effective in reducing drug abuse in uncomplicated medication-overuse headache (MOH). This ancillary of the SAMOHA multicentre study aimed to assess any differences in phenotypic characteristics, type and amount of drugs overused, and comorbidities between patients with MOH who responded to simple advice and those who did not. ⋯ Our findings suggest that in MOH trials, after an educational session, an observational period is needed in order to confirm the diagnosis of MOH and to avoid overestimation of the effect of other treatments used to manage MOH. Future research should focus mainly on those patients with MOH who do not respond to simple advice and with unsuccessful withdrawal.