Cause Of Headache Research Articles

Cerebrovascular Reactivity in Adolescents With Migraine and Tension‐Type Headache During Headache‐Free Interval and Attack

Migraine is a common cause of headache in adolescents. Assuming that the cerebral vasculature is involved in the pathophysiology of migraine, we compared cerebral vasoreactivity in adolescents both during a migraine attack and a headache-free interval. A functional transcranial Doppler test utilizing a visual stimulation paradigm was undertaken to measure the evoked flow velocity in the posterior cerebral artery of adolescents suffering from a migraine without aura or a tension-type headache. To serve as a control, data previously obtained from age-matched adolescents with no primary headache disorder were used. The flow curves were evaluated by determining the maximal flow velocity increase and by modeling their time course according to a control system analysis. In that analysis, the main dynamic features of the flow response were described mathematically in terms of a control system model of low order. The parameters were time delay, gain, attenuation, rate time, and natural frequency. The attenuation parameter (P<.005), indicative of an increased tone of the vessel, and the resting absolute flow velocity (P<.01) both showed a significant increase during an attack in the adolescents with migraine; the gain parameter showed a trend towards similar increase (P =.07). The maximal flow velocity did not increase significantly during an attack. The control system approach utilized here appears to be more sensitive for detecting migraine-associated changes in cerebral vasoreactivity than examination of the maximal flow velocities alone.

Benign exertional headache

We describe 4 patients with benign exertional headache presenting to the emergency department. Consideration of this uncommon cause of headache might facilitate an accurate diagnosis of those patients with headache caused by strenuous exercise. [Ann Emerg Med. 2003;41:98-103.]

The many causes of headache

PREVIEWAccurate diagnosis of headache can be challenging when the pain pattern and the source are not immediately recognized. The most common types of headache are primary (ie, migraine, tension-type, and cluster). In addition, many secondary causes of head pain have been identified. Dr Levin reviews the major types of headache as categorized by the International Headache Society and provides a list of red flags that may signal a secondary headache.

Migraine Headache: Immunosuppressant Therapy.

There is very little literature on the use of immunosuppressant drugs in migraine treatment. Immunosuppressive agents are rarely, if ever, used as regular abortive drugs for episodic migraine attacks, and are never used as migraine preventives, because of the risk of side effects that come along with prolonged usage. Immunosuppressant drugs have been used in the emergency room as treatment for severe migraine attacks (intravenous corticosteroids), in the treatment of sustained or status migraine (oral or intravenous corticosteroids), in the treatment of drug-overuse headache (oral or intravenous corticosteroids), and in the treatment of immunosuppressant-induced headache in organ transplant recipients. Corticosteroids are commonly used as therapy for status migraine. Short courses of rapidly tapering doses of oral corticosteroids (prednisone or dexamethasone) can alleviate status migraine. Intravenous corticosteroids (methylprednisolone) in a single dose (emergency room or outpatient infusion unit) or as several days of repetitive dosing (in-hospital strategy) can be used to break long-lasting migraine attacks. A new use for corticosteroids in migraine therapy is to treat drug-overuse headache. Patients with drug-overuse or "rebound" headache will only improve once their symptomatic medications have been discontinued. Stopping "rebounding medications" in the short-term can lead to withdrawal symptoms and a worsening of headache. In the long-term, it will lead to headache improvement. There are both outpatient and inpatient treatment strategies to detoxify patients off of misused medications. Corticosteroids have been used in the management of headache during the detoxification process as both outpatient treatments using short courses of oral corticosteroids or as repetitive intravenous therapy in an inpatient setting. Headache is a well-recognized but poorly reported side effect of organ transplantation. The approach to headache evaluation and management in the transplant setting is unique. Physicians must investigate all possible causes of headache from benign side effects of medications to precursors of potentially catastrophic neurologic abnormalities. One needs to think in terms of pharmacologic versus nonpharmacologic causes of headache. Immunosuppressive agents commonly known to cause headache include cyclosporine, tacrolimus (FK506), and muromonab CD3 (OKT3).

Triptans for migraine management in adolescents.

To review triptan efficacy and tolerability data for adolescent migraine sufferers to assist clinicians in selecting triptans for this age group. Migraine is a common cause of headache among adolescents. To date, no medications, including those with proven headache relief in adults, have been approved for treatment of migraine in adolescents. Recent triptan clinical trials conducted in adolescent migraine sufferers 12 to 17 years of age were reviewed and results were summarized. The success of individual triptan clinical trials conducted in adolescent appears related to time to treatment (1.9 to 6 hours), placebo response (25% to 57%), and day of the week (weekday versus weekend). Overall, triptan tolerability in adolescents is similar to that reported in adults. Study results suggest that the triptan class of antimigraine drugs may effectively alleviate migraine in adolescents. Future research should address placebo response and earlier treatment paradigms.

Çocuklarda migren dışı başağrısına yaklaşım Orijinal Araştırma

Headache is a common cause of morbidity in children Muscle contraction and migraine headaches are the most common causes of headaches in children A thorough history and physical examination followed by laboratory tests and neuroimaging studies where necessary are essential for evaluating a child with headache and ruling out life – threatening conditions Childhood headaches are reviewed Key words: Headache child

Tension-type headache or sinister masquerader?

This paper discusses a case of headache in an otherwise healthy 33-year-old male, which at first appeared to be tension-type headache. The initial clinical picture was slightly complicated by co-existing mechanical dysfunction of the thoracic spine. In the absence of objective cervical dysfunction, and in light of progressively worsening headache symptoms the patient was referred for further investigation. Subsequent imaging identified an intracranial space-occupying lesion, which was successfully removed at surgery. The case highfights the importance of identifying clinical findings that may suggest underlying pathology as a cause of headache. The International Headache Society criteria for diagnosis of tension-type headache, and associated clinical features are also presented.

Headache during pregnancy.

Headache in pregnancy is a common problem but diagnosis and management can be challenging. Most headaches in pregnant women are either migraine or tension types and can be easily treated. Rarely, the headache in a pregnant patient signals a life-threatening condition. Obstetricians should be able to effectively manage the common causes of headache as well as recognize the warning signs of potentially serious conditions. Diagnosis and management should be systematic yet individualized.

Superior sagittal sinus thrombosis as unusual cause of headache: case report

Headache is the most frequent symptom in patients with cerebral venous thrombosis. However, patients presenting with headache due to cerebral venous thrombosis are uncommon. The association between oral contraceptives and cerebral venous thrombosis is well known. We report the case of a young woman who was admitted to our department for sudden onset of headache. She had been taking oral contraceptives for 6 months. Early pharmacological approach with analgesics failed to elleviate symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed thrombosis of the posterior and middle thirds of the superior sagittal sinus (SSS). Because the patient was oligosymptomatic, medical treatment with high-dose heparin was started. A clinical follow-up showed headache regression after 2 weeks of therapy. Subsequent MRI showed partial recanalization of the SSS. The patient continued oral anticoagulants for 3 months. Eighteen months after discharge, the patient was symptom-free. We conclude that new, persistent or atypical headaches in patients taking oral contraceptives should be carefully evaluated for cerebral venous thrombosis.

Chronic Tension-Type Headache in Children and Adolescents

In this study, the causes, predisposing factors and clinical features of chronic daily headache in children and adolescents were studied within the population of patients attending a specialist headache. The International Headache Society's (IHS) criteria for the diagnosis of chronic tension type headache (CTTH) were assessed for their applicability in the paediatric age group. Over a period of three years, demographic and clinical data were collected prospectively on all children who attended the clinic and suffered from daily attacks of headache. One hundred and fifteen children and adolescents (32% of all clinic population) had chronic daily headache, of whom 93 patients (81%) fulfilled the IHS criteria for the diagnosis of CTTH. They were between 3-15 years of age (mean: 11.1, SD: 2.3) and their female to male ratio was 1.2 : 1. Around one third of the patients also suffered from migraine (mainly migraine without aura). The headache was described as mild in 60.9%, moderate 36.5% and severe 2.6%. Headache was located at the forehead in 53% or over the whole of the head in 29.6%. Pain was described as 'just sore' or dull by 73.9%. During attacks of headache, at least half the patients reported light intolerance, noise intolerance, anorexia or nausea. Thirty-two percent of patients had at least one underlying chronic disease that may have contributed to the pathogenesis of the CTTH. Eleven percent had serious stressful events related to family illnesses and in four patients headaches were triggered by family bereavement. Fourteen percent were investigated with neuroimaging and 22% were referred for clinical psychology assessment and management. In conclusion, CTTH is a common cause of headache in children attending a specialist headache clinic. The clinical features closely match those of adult population and the IHS criteria for the diagnosis of CTTH can be adapted for use in children. Predisposing stressful risk factors, physical or emotional, are present in a large proportion.

DIAGNOSTIC TESTING FOR HEADACHE

A careful and complete headache history supplemented by a neurologic and general physical examination, as appropriate, enables the astute physician to diagnose most headaches correctly without diagnostic testing. When indications are present (see Box 1), some headache patients with a normal physical examination require testing even though the yield may be low. Failure to test may result in misdiagnosis of potentially serious and life-threatening causes of headaches, such as brain tumors, chronic meningitis, SAH, and temporal arteritis.

Retro-orbital tumour--an uncommon cause of headache in pregnancy.

Retro-orbital tumour was the cause of headache and neuropathic facial pain in a 31-year-old pregnant woman. The diagnosis had been overlooked as a result of a long history of migraine. There was exacerbation of the pain throughout the pregnancy, particularly in the third trimester. Pharmacological agents commonly used to manage neuropathic pain states were relatively contraindicated due to potential adverse effects on the fetus. Cognisant of such limitations imposed by pregnancy, we used multimodal therapy in an attempt to control the pain. This included morphine, paracetamol, amitriptyline, ketamine and psychological support. The management challenges are described.

DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF HEADACHE

Migraine and tension headaches are among the most common diagnoses in women's health. Secondary causes of headache such as brain tumor, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and meningitis are uncommon but must not be missed. A careful history and physical examination, use of diagnostic criteria, and certain facts about the serious causes of headache are the keys to diagnosis and treatment. Neuroimaging should be limited to patients displaying signs or symptoms of a secondary headache cause. Menstrual migraine can be managed similarly to nonmenstrual migraine.

Headache etiology in children: a retrospective study of 125 cases.

To determine the headache etiology in children in the middle Anatolia region of Turkey. The clinical and laboratory findings of 125 patients, who were followed up after a diagnosis of headache in our hospital, were reviewed retrospectively. The criteria defined by the International Headache Society (IHS) were used in the classification of patients. The patients were divided into two subgroups according to age intervals: (i) group 1, 5-10 years of age; and (ii) group II, 11-16 years of age. There were 62 males and 63 females in the study. The patients' ages ranged from 5 to 16 years (mean (+/- SD) age 10.67+/-2.72 years). Headache was more commonly noted between 11 and 16 years of age. While headache was more frequent in male children in group I, there was female predominance in group II. However, there was no significant difference between the groups with respect to age and gender (P>0.05). The most frequent cause of headache was migraine and the remaining causes, in decreasing order, included sinusitis (no. 11 according to IHS criteria) and tension-type and psychosomatic headaches (no. 13 according to IHS criteria). Of the 125 patients in the study, 85 (68%) had acute headache and 40 (32%) had chronic headache; 44 (35.2%) patients had acute localized-type headache, 39 (31.2%) suffered from acute recurrent-type headache, 38 (30.4%) had chronic non-progressive headache and acute generalized and chronic progressive-type headache were diagnosed in two (1.6%) patients. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain were performed in 50 and seven patients, respectively; there were abnormal findings in six patients on CT examiniation and in two patients following MRI. In conclusion, we stress that the most frequent cause of headache in childhood is migraine and the remaining causes, in decreasing order of frequency, were sinusitis and tension-type and psychosomatic headaches. Neuroimaging studies, such as CT or MRI, need to be performed, especially in patients with complicated symptoms.

Persistent headache after supratentorial craniotomy.

Although the incidence, possible causes, and treatment of persistent headache after suboccipital craniotomy have been discussed extensively, few data have been published regarding persistent headache after supratentorial craniotomy. We retrospectively analyzed the senior author's patient series of 145 consecutive anterior temporal lobectomies for intractable epilepsy performed during a 9-year period. To eliminate confounding causes of headache, all patients studied were seizure-free, none had progressive mass lesions or persisting vascular anomalies, and none had major complications of surgery. With the permission of the institutional review board, information on headache was obtained from patient records, the patients' neurologists, and the patients themselves. Of the 145 consecutive patients who underwent operations, 126 patients had adequate follow-up for analysis. Of the 126 patients, 104 did not have headaches and were not using regular analgesics 2 months postoperatively. Twenty-two patients had headaches persisting beyond 2 months. Seven (5.6%) of the 126 patients had headaches that lasted more than 2 months but less than 1 year, and they were free of recurrent headaches 1 year postoperatively. Fifteen (11.9%) of the 126 patients had ongoing headaches 1 year after surgery. Regarding headache severity, 4.0% of patients had medically uncontrolled headaches, and 3.2% continued to require prescription drugs for headaches 1 year postoperatively. Although the incidence of persistent head pain after supratentorial craniotomy is lower than that reported for posterior fossa procedures, the incidence is not trivial. The cause of persistent pain deserves further investigation.

Spontaneous spinal cerebrospinal fluid leaks: a review

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension has become a well-recognized clinical entity, but it remains an uncommonly, and probably underdiagnosed, cause of headache; its estimated prevalence is only one in 50,000 individuals. The clinical spectrum of spontaneous intracranial hypotension is quite variable and includes headache, neck stiffness, cranial nerve dysfunction, radicular arm pain, and symptoms of diencephalic or hindbrain herniation. Leakage of the spinal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is the most common cause of spontaneous intracranial hypotension. A combination of an underlying weakness of the spinal meninges and a more or less trivial traumatic event is often found to cause this event in these patients. Typical magnetic resonance imaging findings include diffuse pachymeningeal enhancement, subdural fluid collections, and downward displacement of the brain, sometimes mimicking a Chiari I malformation. Opening pressure is often, but not always, low, and examination of CSF may reveal pleocytosis, an elevated protein count, and xanthochromia. The use of myelography computerized tomography scanning is the most reliable method for the accurate localization of the CSF leak. Most CSF leaks are found at the cervicothoracic junction or in the thoracic spine. The initial treatment of choice is a lumbar epidural blood patch, regardless of the location of the CSF leak. If the epidural blood patch fails, the blood patch procedure can be repeated at the lumbar level, or a blood patch can be directed at the exact site of the leak. Surgical repair of the CSF leak is safe and generally successful, although a distinct structural cause of the leak often is not found.

Two Less Common Causes of Headache in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus that May Require Specific Measures

Headache is a frequent occurrence in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We present two cases of young women with headache and papilledema. One patient had this as a presenting manifestation of SLE, and the other had known active SLE. The first patient had a diagnosis of cerebral venous thrombosis, and the other pseudotumor cerebri. Both of these conditions are rare but have known associations with lupus. In the lupus patient with headache, it is essential that the clinician rule out these potentially treatable conditions by carefully taking a history and performing a physical examination as well as using ancillary investigations, including lumbar puncture, computed tomograph and magnetic resonance imaging as required. These uncommon causes of headache in the lupus patient must not be missed, because there is significant potential for morbidity, such as visual loss, or even mortality.

Posisi Kepala dan Tubuh sebagai Salah Satu Penyebab Keluhan Nyeri Kepala

Headache is a disturbance of multifactorial causes. After many researches and debates, dental profession had accepted occlusion factors and temporomandibular disorders as a cause of headache. Unfortunately, since head and body posture have not been realized as a cause of headache, this posture condition is often neglected by patients, physicians, and dentists. Many cases with headache symptom could resemble any headache caused by any disturbances within skull itself, in the eyes, or ears. Radiographic observation of head posture could be a part of examination process to establish diagnosis and to identify the cause of headache symptoms. The ability to differentiate diagnosis between normal anatomic structures with abnormal, and pathological conditions is useful to eliminate possibilities of any diseases with headache as one of the manifestation, for instance: infections and malignancy. From 3 cases described in this study, it is obviously important that relationship between head and body posture as the possible cause of headache should be identified through radiographic invvestigation, before doing any treatment.

Why does tonsillar herniation not occur in idiopathic intracranial hypertension?

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IHH or pseudotumor cerebri) is an uncommon but important cause of headache, characterized by raised intracranial pressure (ICP) in the absence of infection and intracranial pathology on neuroimaging. Lumbar puncture (LP) is usually contra-indicated in situations where the ICP is suspected to be high. However, tonsillar herniation is hardly ever reported after an LP in patients suspected of having IHH. The author postulates that increasing brain stiffness reported in IHH may be the reason for this observation.On the other hand, tonsillar herniation may occur as a late complication following lumbo-peritoneal shunt insertion (occasionally used in the management of patients with IHH). This may be due to the decrease in brain stiffness, i.e. an increase in brain compliance as the condition improves following shunt insertion. Recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging techniques are likely to help us further in understanding the pathogenesis of this curious condition.

Exercise-induced cerebral deoxygenation among untrained trekkers at moderate altitudes.

The pathophysiology of altitude-related disorders in untrained trekkers has not been clarified. In the present study, the effects of workload on cardiovascular parameters and regional cerebral oxygenation were studied in untrained trekkers at altitudes of 2700 m and 3700 m above sea level. We studied 6 males and 4 females at each altitude, and their average ages were 31.3+/-7.1 y at 2700 m and 31.2+/-6.8 y at 3700 m, respectively. The resting values of heart rate and mean blood pressure were not significantly different at 2700 m and 3700 m than at sea level. However, increases in these values after exercise were more prominent at high altitudes (heart rate increase = 51.6% at 2700 m and 70.4% at 3700 m; mean blood pressure increase: 19.0% at 2700 m and 17.2% at 3700 m). In addition, post-exercise blood lactate concentration was significantly higher at 3700 m than at sea level or at 2700 m (i.e., 7.6 mM at 3700 m, 3.8 mM at 2700 m, and 4.17 mM at 0 m, respectively). Exercise induced an acute reduction in the arterial oxygen saturation value (SpO2) at 2700 m and 3700 m (i.e., 11.2% reduction at 2700 m and 9.4% at 3700 m), whereas no changes were observed at sea level. The resting values of regional oxygen saturation (rSO2)--measured by a near infra-red spectrophotometer at sea level, 2700 m, and 3700 m-were nearly identical. Exercise at sea level did not reduce this value. In contrast, we observed a decrease in rSO2 after subjects exercised at 2700 m and 3700 m (i.e., 26.9% at 2700 m and 48.1% at 3700 m, respectively). The rSO2 measured 2 min and 3 min after exercise at 3700 m was significantly higher than the preexercise value. From these observations, we concluded that alterations in cardiovascular parameters were apparent only after an exercise load occurred at approximately 3000 m altitude. Acute reduction in cerebral regional oxygen saturation might be a primary cause of headache and acute mountain sickness among unacclimatized trekkers.