Brain : a journal of neurology
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The short-lasting primary headache syndromes may be conveniently divided into those exhibiting marked autonomic activation and those without autonomic activation. The former group comprise chronic and episodic paroxysmal hemicrania, short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT syndrome) and cluster headache. These headache syndromes are compared with other short-lasting headache disorders, such as hypnic headache, and persistent headache with milder autonomic features such as hemicrania continua. ⋯ The similarites of these syndromes suggests a considerable shared pathophysiology. It is suggested that the syndromes are sufficiently well established for inclusion in the International Headache Society Classification system and that trigeminal-autonomic cephalalgias should be classified as a group together. A proposed re-classification is presented.