Posttraumatic Headache

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (06) ◽  
pp. 619-626 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brigid Dwyer

AbstractPosttraumatic headaches are among the most challenging complaints after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). They are a debilitating problem experienced by patients after TBI of all severities. Up to 90% of mild TBI patients experience headache, particularly if female and with a premorbid history of primary headache. Tension headache has classically been the most common subtype, but in military populations migraine has dominated. Posttraumatic headache encompasses a spectrum of headache types that overlap heavily with common primary headache disorders, but also autonomic cephalgias as well as several secondary headache conditions. It is important to understand the evolution of postconcussion syndrome as a concept, and the challenges associated with diagnosing and treating multidomain drivers effectively. The first-line treatments for posttraumatic headache are typically the same as those used in nontraumatic headache, with additional considerations for cognitive side effects, posttraumatic epilepsy, and coexisting injuries resulting in neuropathic pain or medication overuse.

Cephalalgia ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 904-911 ◽  
Author(s):  
CJ Schankin ◽  
U Ferrari ◽  
VM Reinisch ◽  
T Birnbaum ◽  
R Goldbrunner ◽  
...  

Eighty-five brain tumour patients were examined for further characteristics of brain tumour-associated headache. The overall prevalence of headache in this population was 60%, but headache was the sole symptom in only 2%. Pain was generally dull, of moderate intensity, and not specifically localized. Nearly 40% met the criteria of tension-type headache. An alteration of the pain with the occurrence of the tumour was experienced by 82.5%, implying that the preexisting and the brain tumour headaches were different. The classic characteristics mentioned in the International Classification of Headache Disorders (worsening in the morning or during coughing) were not found; this might be explained by the patients not having elevated intracranial pressure. Univariate analysis revealed that a positive family history of headache and the presence of meningiomas are risk factors for tumour-associated headache, and the use of β-blockers is prophylactic. Pre-existing headache was the only risk factor according to logistic regression, suggesting that patients with pre-existing (primary) headache have a greater predisposition to develop secondary headache. Dull headache occurs significantly more often in patients with glioblastoma multiforme, and pulsating headache in patients with meningioma. In our study, only infratentorial tumours were associated with headache location, and predominantly with occipital but rarely frontal pain.


Author(s):  
Christopher Mares ◽  
Jehane H. Dagher ◽  
Mona Harissi-Dagher

AbstractThe most common symptom of post-concussive syndrome (PCS) is post-traumatic headache (PTH) accompanied by photophobia. Post-traumatic headache is currently categorized as a secondary headache disorder with a clinical phenotype described by its main features and resembling one of the primary headache disorders: tension, migraine, migraine-like cluster. Although PTH is often treated with medication used for primary headache disorders, the underlying mechanism for PTH has yet to be elucidated. The goal of this narrative literature review is to determine the current level of knowledge of these PTHs and photophobia in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in order to guide further research and attempt to discover the underlying mechanism to both symptoms. The ultimate purpose is to better understand the pathophysiology of these symptoms in order to provide better and more targeted care to afflicted patients. A review of the literature was conducted using the databases CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed. All papers were screened for sections on pathophysiology of PTH or photophobia in mTBI patients. Our paper summarizes current hypotheses. Although the exact pathophysiology of PTH and photophobia in mTBI remains to be determined, we highlight several interesting findings and avenues for future research, including central and peripheral explanations for PTH, neuroinflammation, cortical spreading depolarization and the role of glutamate excitotoxicity. We discuss the possible neuroanatomical pathways for photophobia and hypothesize a possible common pathophysiological basis between PTH and photophobia.


2019 ◽  
Vol 90 (e7) ◽  
pp. A20.3-A21
Author(s):  
Srimathy Vijayan ◽  
Carolyn Orr ◽  
Catherine Franconi

ObjectivesPrimary headache disorders are common with migraine and tension headache accounting for the vast majority of cases. A smaller proportion suffer from trigeminal autonomic cephalgia (TAC). We present a 23-year-old Caucasian female who described characteristic, episodic headaches starting with a dull retro-orbital/bi-frontal pressure evolving, over the course of 1 minute, to experience florid periorbital ecchymosis. While this phenomenon has been described in the literature, the characteristics of our case are unique and noteworthy of reporting.MethodsWe reviewed the literature surrounding this rare entity by using PubMed/OVID databases and the search terms ‘Headache AND ecchymosis’.ResultsCase reports exist in older patients1–3, where the headache is side locked and associated with other autonomic characteristics such as periorbital oedema, conjunctival injection and tearing. Our case is a young female with only ecchymosis in a unilateral and/or bilateral manner and no other autonomic or indeed migraine features. The patient underwent vascular/cranial imaging and blood tests to exclude haematological, autoimmune, vasculitic causes for this presentation which were unrewarding.ConclusionVariations on this clinical entity are described;1–4 we hope this report may bring attention to this fascinating phenomenon. The pathophysiological process is likely to be similar to those implicated in TACs, namely activation of the trigemino-neurovascular system and facial autonomic pathways. The release of neuromediators such as CGRP, VIP and Substance P cause blood vessel fragility resulting in diapedesis. Optimal treatment regimens are unknown but various agents have been trialled. Our patient declined treatment and continues to be followed.ReferencesDeBroff B, et al. Migraine Associated with Periorbital Ecchymosis. Headache 1990;30:260–263.Dafer R, et al. Atypical Chronic Headache and Recurrent Facial Ecchymosis: A Case Report. Neuro-Ophthalmology 2011;35:76–77.Nozzolillo D, et al. Migraine associated with facial ecchymoses ipsilateral to the symptomatic side. J Headache Pain ( 2004) 5:256–259.Sethi PK, et al. Teaching neuroimages: Red forehead dot syndrome and migraine revisited. Neurology 2015;85;e28.


Cephalalgia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Evers ◽  
Nicole Brockmann ◽  
Oliver Summ ◽  
Ingo W Husstedt ◽  
Achim Frese

Objective Migraine is a common disorder affecting more than 10% of the population. The prevalence of migraine among physicians and, in particular, among headache specialists is widely unknown as is the impact of suffering from migraine on the attitudes towards migraine and on treatment recommendations of physicians. We designed a survey among headache specialists and neurologists and compared the results to general pain specialists and general practitioners. Methods A standardized interview in randomly selected samples of these four groups of physicians was performed. The interview included data on the prevalence of migraine and other primary headache disorders in the physician groups, self-report on their own treatment, attitudes towards migraine, and treatment recommendations for migraine. The prevalence rates were also compared to an age- and sex-matched German general population sample. Results The lifetime prevalence of migraine was higher in headache specialists (53.0%) than in general neurologists (43.0%), pain specialists (21.7%), general practitioners (19.3%), and in the general age- and sex-matched population (16.8%). Cluster headache prevalence was high in neurologists (1.9%) and in headache specialists (1.3%); episodic tension-type headache prevalence was significantly lower in general practitioners (19.5%). One reason, among others, was that being a migraine (or cluster headache) patient more often prompted the sufferers to become a specialist in neurology. Physicians with migraine rated the biopsychosocial concept of lower importance for migraine than did physicians without migraine. The self-treatment of migraine in physicians differs from the treatment recommendations to the patients. For example, only 36.4% of the headache specialists with migraine take triptans whereas 94.4% recommend triptans to their patients. Conclusions We conclude that being a headache specialist or a neurologist is associated with an increased migraine or cluster headache prevalence. This personal history of migraine leads to a more somatic view of migraine as a disorder and to different treatment recommendations as compared to self-treatment.


Author(s):  
Tad Seifert

The prevalence of primary headache disorders in the general population provides a unique challenge in the evaluation of headache occurring in the context of sport. Sport-related and exercise-related headaches are not uncommon, but there is limited epidemiological data on these types of headaches in athletes. Any primary headache type can occur in the setting of sports. These scenarios are challenging in the return to play context, as it is often unclear whether an athlete has an exacerbation of a primary headache disorder, new onset headache unrelated to trauma, or has suffered a genuine concussive injury. Through careful evaluation, the practitioner can distinguish primary headache disorders from posttraumatic headaches following concussion. This chapter reviews primary headache disorders, posttraumatic headaches, and other secondary headache disorders.


Cephalalgia ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (9) ◽  
pp. 1554-1563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsing-Yu Weng ◽  
Anna S Cohen ◽  
Christoph Schankin ◽  
Peter J Goadsby

Background Short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT) and short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with cranial autonomic symptoms (SUNA) are two rare headache syndromes classified broadly as Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgias (TACs). Methods Here, 65 SUNCT (37 males) and 37 SUNA (18 males) patients were studied to describe their clinical manifestations and responses to treatment. Results Pain was almost always unilateral and side-locked. There were three types of attack: Single stabs, stab groups, and a saw-tooth pattern, with some patients experiencing a mixture of two types. As to cranial autonomic symptoms, SUNA patients mainly had lacrimation (41%) and ptosis (40%). Most cases of the two syndromes had attack triggers, and the most common triggers were touching, chewing, or eating for SUNCT, and chewing/eating and touching for SUNA. More than half of each group had a personal or family history of migraine that resulted in more likely photophobia, phonophobia and persistent pain between attacks. For short-term prevention, both syndromes were highly responsive to intravenous lidocaine by infusion; for long-term prevention, lamotrigine and topiramate were effective for SUNCT, and lamotrigine and gabapentin were efficacious in preventing SUNA attacks. A randomized placebo-controlled cross-over trial of topiramate in SUNCT using an N-of-1 design demonstrated it to be an effective treatment in line with clinical experience. Conclusions SUNCT and SUNA are rare primary headache disorders that are distinct and very often tractable to medical therapy.


Author(s):  
Jonathan P. Gladstone ◽  
David W. Dodick

In 1988, the International Headache Society created a classification system that has become the standard for headache diagnosis and research. The International Classification of Headache Disorders galvanized the headache community and stimulated nosologic, epidemiologic, pathophysiologic, and genetic research. It also facilitated multinational clinical drug trials that have led to the basis of current treatment guidelines. While there have been criticisms, the classification received widespread support by headache societies around the globe. Fifteen years later, the International Headache Society released the revised and expanded International Classification of Headache Disorders second edition. The unprecedented and rapid advances in the field of headache led to the inclusion of many new primary and secondary headache disorders in the revised classification. Using illustrative cases, this review highlights 10 important new headache types that have been added to the second edition. It is important for neurologists to familiarize themselves with the diagnostic criteria for the frequently encountered primary headache disorders and to be able to access the classification (www.i-h-s.org) for the less commonly encountered or diagnostically challenging presentations of headache and facial pain.


Author(s):  
Lev Borisovich Shlopak

Headache (cephalalgia) is one of the most common symptoms and is a manifestation of more than 50 diseases. According to the World Health Organization, at least one episode of headache during a lifetime has occurred in almost every inhabitant of the Earth, and about half of them noted periodic headaches. In its etiology, cephalalgia can be primary, not associated with organic damage to tissues and organs, and secondary, which is based on pathological changes. In particular, cephalalgia in inflammatory lesions of the paranasal sinuses, brain tumors, encephalitis and meningitis, acute cerebrovascular accident, head trauma, arterial hypertension, aneurysm of the cerebral vessels, etc., should be attributed to the secondary headache. In 95–97 % of cases, the headache is not based on organic lesion, and in this case, the headache is primary. Primary cephalalgia can be based on both vegetative-vascular and metabolic-destructive changes. Primary headache can be noted with emotional or physical overstrain, exposure to a number of light, sound or olfactory stimuli, liquorodynamic or dysmetabolic disorders, when taking certain medications. Conventionally, primary headache can be divided into three groups — tension headache, migraine and cluster headache.


Author(s):  
Douglas J. Gelb

Headaches can occur independently of any other disease processes (primary headache disorders) or they can be associated with a wide variety of underlying neurologic and systemic conditions (secondary headache disorders). The pathophysiologic mechanisms are incompletely under- stood. Most research has focused on migraine headaches, with the tacit assumption that other headache syndromes, both primary and secondary, have similar mechanisms.


Author(s):  
Sylvia Lucas

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an extremely important, common global health issue with approximately 2.5 million TBIs occurring yearly in the civilian population alone. The symptom manifestations of TBI are called ‘concussion’ symptoms and headache is the most common. Post-traumatic headache (PTH) is a secondary headache occurring in temporal association with the TBI and thought to be caused by the injury. Many studies have found PTH to be frequent and persistent, with a higher prevalence of PTH after mild than moderate to severe TBI. In both severity injuries, the most frequent phenotype of PTH is migraine or probable migraine. PTH risk factor after injury is a prior history of primary headache disorder. The relationship between TBI and PTH is unknown and currently the subject of intense research. As yet, treatment of PTH is empiric with standard of care to ‘phenotype’ the headache according to primary headache clinical characteristics and use the type as a guideline for management.


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