Abstract
The trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias are a group of distinct primary headache disorders
that share common characteristics of strict unilateral headache often accompanied
by unilateral cranial autonomic features. Cluster headache is the most well-known
example, but other than neurologists, practitioners often have limited familiarity
with these disorders and treatment options. Delays in diagnosis are typical and treatment
options remain suboptimal, associated with limited scientific research into these
brain disorders. Improved familiarity with core clinical features by health care providers
should lead to earlier referral to specialists, and this education is the responsibility
of headache medicine specialists. Optimistically, the last few years have seen lobbying
for more federal research support in headache medicine and there has been renewed
interest by private industry in potential new treatments for trigeminal autonomic
cephalalgias.
Keywords
cluster headache - paroxysmal hemicrania - trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia - hemicrania
continua
