scholarly journals Neurostimulation Treatment in Chronic Cluster Headache—a Narrative Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Evers ◽  
Oliver Summ

Abstract Purpose of Review In this narrative review, the current literature on neurostimulation methods in the treatment of chronic cluster headache is evaluated. These neurostimulation methods include deep brain stimulation, vagus nerve stimulation, greater occipital nerve stimulation, sphenopalatine ganglion stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, supraorbital nerve stimulation, and cervical spinal cord stimulation. Recent Findings Altogether, only nVNS and SPG stimulation are supported by at least one positive sham-controlled clinical trial for preventive and acute attack (only SPG stimulation) treatment. Other clinical trials either did not control at all or controlled by differences in the stimulation technique itself but not by a sham-control. Case series report higher responder rates. Summary The evidence for these neurostimulation methods in the treatment of chronic cluster headache is poor and in part contradictive. However, except deep brain stimulation, tolerability and safety of these methods are good so that in refractory situations application might be justified in individual cases.

Cephalalgia ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Bartsch ◽  
MO Pinsker ◽  
D Rasche ◽  
T Kinfe ◽  
F Hertel ◽  
...  

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the posterior hypothalamus was found to be effective in the treatment of drug-resistant chronic cluster headache. We report the results of a multicentre case series of six patients with chronic cluster headache in whom a DBS in the posterior hypothalamus was performed. Electrodes were implanted stereotactically in the ipsilateral posterior hypothalamus according to published coordinates 2 mm lateral, 3 mm posterior and 5 mm inferior referenced to the mid-AC-PC line. Microelectrode recordings at the target revealed single unit activity with a mean discharge rate of 17 Hz (range 13-35 Hz, n = 4). Out of six patients, four showed a profound decrease of their attack frequency and pain intensity on the visual analogue scale during the first 6 months. Of these, one patient was attack free for 6 months under neurostimulation before returning to the baseline which led to abortion of the DBS. Two patients had experienced only a marginal, non-significant decrease within the first weeks under neurostimulation before returning to their former attack frequency. After a mean follow-up of 17 months, three patients are almost completely attack free, whereas three patients can be considered as treatment failures. The stimulation was well tolerated and stimulation-related side-effects were not observed on long term. DBS of the posterior inferior hypothalamus is an effective therapeutic option in a subset of patients. Future controlled multi-centre trials will need to confirm this open-label experience and should help to better define predictive factors for non-responders.


2003 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 206-206
Author(s):  
Angelo Franzini ◽  
Giovanni Broggi ◽  
Gennaro Bussone ◽  
Paolo Ferroli ◽  
Massimo Leone ◽  
...  

Neurosurgery ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 65 (CN_suppl_1) ◽  
pp. 115-115
Author(s):  
Nilson N. Mendes Neto ◽  
Jessika Thais da Silva Maia ◽  
Juliano Jose da Silva ◽  
Sergio Adrian Fernandes Dantas ◽  
Marcelo Rodrigues Zacarkim ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 388-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daivik B. Vyas ◽  
Allen L. Ho ◽  
David Y. Dadey ◽  
Arjun V. Pendharkar ◽  
Eric S. Sussman ◽  
...  

Cephalalgia ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Messina ◽  
Michele Rizzi ◽  
Roberto Cordella ◽  
Augusto Caraceni ◽  
Ernesto Zecca ◽  
...  

Introduction Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the posterior hypothalamus (pHyp) has been reported as an effective treatment for primary, drug-refractory and chronic cluster headache (CCH). We here describe the use of such a procedure for the treatment of secondary CCH due to a neoplasm affecting the soft tissues of the right hemiface. Methods A 27-year-old man affected by infiltrating angiomyolipoma of the right hemiface who subsequently developed drug refractory homolateral CCH underwent DBS of the right pHyp region at the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Neurologico Carlo Besta. Results After surgery, the patient presented a significant reduction in frequency of pain bouts. However, because of a subsequent infection, the entire system was removed. After re-implantation of the system, successful outcome was observed at 2 years follow-up. Discussion This brief report shows the feasibility of pHyp DBS in secondary drug-refractory CCH syndromes; future reports are needed in order to confirm our positive result.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Juan Ángel Aibar-Durán ◽  
María Jesús Álvarez Holzapfel ◽  
Rodrigo Rodríguez Rodríguez ◽  
Robert Belvis Nieto ◽  
Carles Roig Arnall ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVEOccipital nerve stimulation (ONS) and deep brain stimulation (DBS) are widely used surgical treatments for chronic refractory cluster headache (CH). However, there is little literature regarding long-term follow-up of these treatments.METHODSThe authors describe two prospective cohorts of patients with refractory CH treated with ONS and DBS and compare preoperative to postoperative status at 6 and 12 months after the surgery and at final follow-up. Efficacy analysis using objective and subjective variables is reported, as well as medication reduction and complications.RESULTSThe ONS group consisted of 13 men and 4 women, with a median age of 44 years (range 31–61 years). The median number of attacks per week (NAw) before surgery was 28 (range 7–70), and the median follow-up duration was 48 months. The DBS group comprised 5 men and 2 women, with a median age of 50 years (range 29–64 years). The median NAw before surgery was 56 (range 14–140), and the median follow-up was 36 months. The NAw and visual analog scale score were significantly reduced for the ONS and DBS groups after surgery. However, while all the patients from the DBS group were considered responders at final follow-up, with more than 85% being satisfied with the treatment, approximately 29% of initial responders to ONS became resistant by the final follow-up (p = 0.0253).CONCLUSIONSONS is initially effective as a treatment for refractory CH, although a trend toward loss of efficacy was observed. No clear predictors of good clinical response were found in the present study. Conversely, DBS appears to be effective and provide a more stable clinical response over time with an acceptable rate of surgical complications.


Cephalalgia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (9) ◽  
pp. 1099-1110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Cappon ◽  
Agata Ryterska ◽  
Susie Lagrata ◽  
Sarah Miller ◽  
Harith Akram ◽  
...  

Background Deep brain stimulation in the ventral tegmental area (VTA-DBS) has provided remarkable therapeutic benefits in decreasing headache frequency and severity in patients with medically refractory chronic cluster headache (CH). However, to date the effects of VTA-DBS on cognition, mood and quality of life have not been examined in detail. Methods The aim of the present study was to do so in a case series of 18 consecutive patients with cluster headache who underwent implantation of deep brain stimulation electrodes in the ventral tegmental area. The patients were evaluated preoperatively and after a mean of 14 months of VTA-DBS on tests of global cognition (Mini Mental State Examination), intelligence (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence), verbal memory (California Verbal Learning Test-II), executive function (Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System), and attention (Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test). Depression (Beck Depression Inventory and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Rating Scale-D), anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Rating Scale-A), apathy (Starkstein Apathy Scale), and hopelessness (Beck Hopelessness Scale) were also assessed. Subjective pain experience (McGill Pain Questionnaire), behaviour (Pain Behaviour Checklist) and quality of life (Short Form-36) were also evaluated at the same time points. Results VTA-DBS resulted in significant improvement of headache frequency (from a mean of five to two attacks daily, p < .001) and severity (from mean Verbal Rating Scale [VRS] of 10 to 7, p < .001) which was associated with significant reduction of anxiety (from mean HADS-A of 11.94 to 8.00, p < .001) and help-seeking behaviours (from mean PBC of 4.00 to 2.61, p < .001). VTA-DBS did not produce any significant change to any tests of cognitive function and any other outcome measures (BDI, HADS-D, SAS, BHS, McGill Pain Questionnaire, Short Form-36). Conclusion We confirm the efficacy of VTA-DBS in the treatment of medically refractory chronic cluster headache. The reduction of headache frequency and severity was associated with a significant reduction of anxiety. Furthermore, the result suggests that VTA-DBS for chronic cluster headache improves pain-related help-seeking behaviours and does not produce any change in cognition.


2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (S1) ◽  
pp. 137-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Franzini ◽  
G. Messina ◽  
Massimo Leone ◽  
A. Proietti Cecchini ◽  
Giovanni Broggi ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 88 (5) ◽  
pp. 956-969
Author(s):  
Andreas Nowacki ◽  
Martin Schober ◽  
Lydia Nader ◽  
Assel Saryyeva ◽  
Thuy‐Anh Khoa Nguyen ◽  
...  

Cephalalgia ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 934-937 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Leone ◽  
A May ◽  
A Franzini ◽  
G Broggi ◽  
D Dodick ◽  
...  

Cluster headache is the most severe of the primary headaches. Positron emission tomography and functional MRI studies have shown that the ipsilateral posterior hypothalamus is activated during cluster headache attacks and is structurally asymmetric in these patients. These changes are highly specific for the condition and suggest that the cluster headache generator may be located in that brain area; they further suggest that electrical stimulation of that region might produce clinical improvement in chronic cluster headache sufferers refractory to medical therapy. In five patients with severe intractable chronic cluster headache, hypothalamic electrical stimulation produced complete and long-term pain relief with no relevant side-effects. We therefore consider it essential to propose criteria for selecting chronic cluster headache patients for hypothalamic deep brain stimulation before this procedure is undertaken at other academic medical centres.


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