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This is a clinically useful book for pediatricians and other primary care providers who take care of children to guide them in the best ways to take care of children and teenagers who have headaches. It provides a blend of the best available evidence based data with a ton of \"experience-based\" information from a team of authors who take care of kids with headache.

Purpose of Review Chronic migraine (CM) is a chronic form of migraine that differs from episodic migraine (EM) in terms of prevalence, comorbidities, response to treatment, and biomarkers. The aim of this review was to summarize the recent findings on serological biomarkers of CM. Recent Findings Neuronal, inflammatory, and vascular markers have been investigated to assess their diagnostic and prognostic ability and treatment effectiveness. Several markers showed significant alterations according to disease status and treatment response in CM. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), glutamate, and adiponectin appear to be the most promising blood biomarkers for CM. Most studies have shown altered ictal and interictal levels of these markers in CM compared with those in EM and controls. Additionally, they showed a significant association with treatment outcomes. Total adiponectin and high-molecular-weight adiponectin levels were less studied as biomarkers of CM than CGRP and glutamate levels but showed promising results. Summary The development of suitable biomarkers could revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of CM and ultimately decrease the disability and societal costs of the disease.

Purpose of Review Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) is a disorder with distinct features: recurrent thunderclap headaches with reversible vasoconstriction of intracranial arteries. Substantial studies regarding outcomes after RCVS were conducted, showing favorable functional outcomes in most patients despite the potentially life-threatening complications of RCVS, including ischemic stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, or convexity subarachnoid hemorrhage. However, patients may report headaches after the resolution of RCVS while relative studies were scarce. Recent Findings Two prospective studies from different cohorts consistently revealed that RCVS recurred in at least 5% of patients. Patients with prior migraine history and patients whose thunderclap headaches are elicited by sexual activity or exertion are at higher risk for RCVS recurrence. On the other hand, several retrospective studies and case reports reported that chronic headaches are common in RCVS patients after the resolution of acute bouts. The chronic headaches after RCVS are sometimes disabling in certain patients. Summary Headaches after RCVS are not uncommon but usually overseen. Medical attention and examinations are warranted in patient with RCVS who reported recurrence of thunderclap headaches or chronic headaches after RCVS.

Purpose of Review The diagnostic criteria of new daily persistent headache (NDPH) have been revised since 2013. The current review focused on the progress of NDPH research over the last few years. Recent Findings Various new triggers and different NDPH mimics have been reported. The association with both cephalic and extracephalic pathologies suggests that NDPH is rather a syndrome with more than one disease mechanism. Recent clinical studies confirmed that migrainous headache remained the most prominent phenotype of NDPH, echoing the change of the diagnostic criteria in 2013. Diagnostic workup, including imaging studies, was unremarkable, except serving to exclude secondary etiologies. Studies on treatment options have yet shown promising targets, and randomized clinical trials are still lacking. Summary Multiple mechanisms, both cranial and systemic, may be involved synergically in the generation of NDPH-like headaches. The search for effective treatment options should base on better understanding of disease mechanisms.

Chronic migraine (CM) and episodic migraine (EM) are part of the spectrum of migraine disorders, but they are distinct clinical entities. Population-based studies have shown that those with CM demonstrate higher individual and societal burden because they are significantly more disabled than those with EM and have greater impaired quality of life both inside and outside the home. Proper diagnosis of both conditions requires clearly defined clinical criteria. Diagnosis enables the initiation of appropriate treatments and risk-factor modification, which ultimately improve functional status and quality of life for persons with migraine. Recognizing that both disorders are on the spectrum of migraine, this review serves as a guide to define the disease state of CM as distinct from EM in terms of clinical, epidemiological, sociodemographic, and comorbidity profiles.

Purpose of Review Management of chronic daily headaches (CDH) remains challenging due to the limited efficacy of standard prophylactic pharmacological measures. Several studies have reported that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can effectively treat chronic headaches. The objective was to determine the utility of rTMS for immediate post-treatment and sustained CDH prophylaxis. Recent Findings All procedures were conducted per PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ProQuest databases were searched for controlled clinical trials that have tested the efficacy of rTMS on populations with CDH. DerSimonian-Laird random-effects meta-analyses were performed using the ‘meta’ package in R to examine the post- vs. pre-rTMS changes in standardized headache intensity and frequency compared to sham-control conditions. Thirteen trials were included with a combined study population of N = 538 patients with CDH (rTMS, N = 284; Sham, N = 254). Patients exposed to rTMS had significantly reduced standardized CDH intensity and frequency in the immediate post-treatment period (Hedges’ g = -1.16 [-1.89, -0.43], p = 0.002 and Δ = -5.07 [-10.05, -0.11], p = 0.045 respectively). However, these effects were sustained marginally in the follow-up period (Hedges’ g = -0.43 [-0.76, -0.09], p = 0.012 and Δ = -3.33 [-5.52, -1.14], p = 0.003). Significant between-study heterogeneity was observed, at least partially driven by variations in rTMS protocols. Summary Despite the observed clinically meaningful and statistically significant benefits in the immediate post-treatment period, the prophylactic effects of rTMS on CDH do not seem to sustain with discontinuation. Thus, the cost-effectiveness of the routine use of rTMS for CDH prophylaxis remains questionable. Registration Protocol preregistered in PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42021250100)

Disabling headache disorders are ubiquitous in all age groups, including the elderly, yet they are under-recognized, underdiagnosed and undertreated worldwide. Surveys and clinic-based research reports on headache disorders in elderly populations are extremely limited in number. Chronic daily headache (CDH) is an important and growing subtype of primary headache disorders, associated with increased burden and disruption to quality of life. CDH can be divided into two forms, based on headache duration. Common forms of primary headache disorders of long duration (>4 hours) were comprehensively defined in the third edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3 beta). These include chronic migraine, chronic tension-type headache, new daily persistent headache, and hemicrania continua. Rarer short-duration (<4 hours) forms of CDH are chronic cluster headache, chronic paroxysmal hemicrania, SUNCT, and hypnic headache. Accurate diagnosis, management, and relief of the burden of CDH in the elderly population present numerous unique challenges as the “aging world” continues to grow. In order to implement appropriate coping strategies for the elderly, it is essential to establish the correct diagnosis at each step and to exercise caution in differentiating from secondary causes, while always taking into consideration the unique needs and limitations of the aged body.

Purpose of Review The biological and pathophysiological interaction between sleep and chronic migraine (CM) remains to be fully elucidated. In this article, we provide a narrative review of the literature on sleep disturbance and CM, highlighting recent advances in sleep research and insights into mechanisms that could mediate a role of sleep disturbances in migraine chronification. We discuss the potential for cognitive-behavioral insomnia therapy (CBTi) as an intervention for CM with comorbid insomnia. Finally, we propose a model of the mechanisms underlying the interactions among sleep physiology, maladaptive migraine-coping behaviors, and coexisting factors which contribute to sleep disturbances in CM based on conceptual models used in sleep research. Recent Findings Insomnia is the most common sleep complaint among patients with CM. CM patients experience more frequent and severe insomnia symptoms than patients with episodic migraine (EM). It has been suggested that sleep disturbances may predispose individuals to migraine attacks, which may affect the pain-processing trigeminovascular system and thus play a role in migraine progression. Encouraging but limited evidence suggests that management of insomnia via behavioral sleep therapy may reverse CM to EM and possibly prevent migraine chronification. Summary Migraine has a complex relationship with sleep. The use of objective sleep study such as polysomnographic microstructural sleep analysis and actigraphy could help connect sleep disturbances and processes related to CM. Future longitudinal studies should examine whether effective behavioral treatments such as CBTi can reverse migraine chronification.

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.

Chronic daily headache (CDH) is a common neurological condition that affects 1–4 % of the general population. Most individuals with CDH originally suffered from episodic headaches, but over time, this developed into CDH. Although the pathophysiology of CDH is not fully understood, recent clinical and epidemiological studies suggest some risk factors that are associated with an increased risk of transformation from episodic headaches. If risk factors can be identified, they could provide a base for aggressive preventive intervention and thus decrease the transformation from episodic headaches to eventual CDH. In this article, we review and summarize the current data on risk factors for CDH.