Download PDF
Semin Neurol 2018; 38(06): 608-618
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1673683
Review Article
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Migraine and Tension-Type Headache

Azmin Kahriman
1   Department of Neurology, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
,
Shuhan Zhu
1   Department of Neurology, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
06 December 2018 (online)

   Buy Article Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Migraine and tension-type headache (TTH) are common primary disorders that carry significant morbidity and socioeconomic effect. In this article, we will review the epidemiology, presentation, and diagnosis of these disorders. First-line acute treatment for migraine consists of analgesics, triptans, and antiemetics, while nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the mainstay treatment for TTH. Patients with frequent or chronic headaches warrant prophylactic therapy. For migraine, various classes of preventives can be used (β-blockers, tricyclics, antiepileptics, botulinum toxin), with the choice of therapy tailored to the patient's risk factors and symptoms. For TTH, tricyclics have the most evidence as prophylactic therapy. A new class of medication, monoclonal antibodies to calcitonin gene receptor peptide or its receptor, became available in 2018, and is the first class of medication specifically designed to treat migraine. In addition to pharmacotherapy, we will also review nonpharmacologic interventions as well as neuromodulation for migraine.

Keywords

migraine - tension-type headache - chronic migraine - acute treatment - preventive treatment
 

  • References

  • 1 Manack AN, Buse DC, Lipton RB. Chronic migraine: epidemiology and disease burden. Curr Pain Headache Rep 2011; 15 (01) 70-78
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Lipton RB, Stewart WF, Diamond S, Diamond ML, Reed M. Prevalence and burden of migraine in the United States: data from the American Migraine Study II. Headache 2001; 41 (07) 646-657
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Moses III H, Matheson DH, Cairns-Smith S, George BP, Palisch C, Dorsey ER. The anatomy of medical research: US and international comparisons. JAMA 2015; 313 (02) 174-189
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Houtveen JH, Sorbi MJ. Prodromal functioning of migraine patients relative to their interictal state--an ecological momentary assessment study. PLoS One 2013; 8 (08) e72827
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Charles AC, Baca SM. Cortical spreading depression and migraine. Nat Rev Neurol 2013; 9 (11) 637-644
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Tfelt-Hansen PC. History of migraine with aura and cortical spreading depression from 1941 and onwards. Cephalalgia 2010; 30 (07) 780-792
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Lauritzen M. Pathophysiology of the migraine aura. The spreading depression theory. Brain 1994; 117 (Pt 1): 199-210
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Somerville BW. The influence of progesterone and estradiol upon migraine. Headache 1972; 12 (03) 93-102
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Epstein MT, Hockaday JM, Hockaday TDR. Migraine and reproductive hormones throughout the menstrual cycle. Lancet 1975; 1 (7906): 543-548
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Dodick DW. Pearls: headache. Semin Neurol 2010; 30 (01) 74-81
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition. Cephalalgia 2018; 38: 1-211
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Dueland AN. Headache and Alcohol. Headache 2015; 55 (07) 1045-1049
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Finocchi C, Sivori G. Food as trigger and aggravating factor of migraine. Neurol Sci 2012; 33 (Suppl. 01) S77-S80
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Lippi G, Mattiuzzi C, Cervellin G. Chocolate and migraine: the history of an ambiguous association. Acta Biomed 2014; 85 (03) 216-221
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Martin VT, Vij B. Diet and Headache: Part 1. Headache 2016; 56 (09) 1543-1552
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Rockett FC, de Oliveira VR, Castro K, Chaves ML, Perla AdaS, Perry ID. Dietary aspects of migraine trigger factors. Nutr Rev 2012; 70 (06) 337-356
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Zaeem Z, Zhou L, Dilli E. Headaches: a review of the role of dietary factors. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2016; 16 (11) 101
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Marmura MJ, Silberstein SD, Schwedt TJ. The acute treatment of migraine in adults: the American Headache Society evidence assessment of migraine pharmacotherapies. Headache 2015; 55 (01) 3-20
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Worthington I, Pringsheim T, Gawel MJ. , et al; Canadian Headache Society Acute Migraine Treatment Guideline Development Group. Canadian Headache Society Guideline: acute drug therapy for migraine headache. Can J Neurol Sci 2013; 40 (05) (Suppl. 03) S1-S80
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 Ansari H, Ziad S. Drug-drug interactions in headache medicine. Headache 2016; 56 (07) 1241-1248
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Brandes JL, Poole Ac, Kallela M. , et al. Short-term frovatriptan for the prevention of difficult-to-treat menstrual migraine attacks. Cephalalgia 2009; 29 (11) 1133-1148
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Silberstein SD, Elkind AH, Schreiber C, Keywood C. A randomized trial of frovatriptan for the intermittent prevention of menstrual migraine. Neurology 2004; 63 (02) 261-269
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Zhang H, Yang X, Lin Y, Chen L, Ye H. The efficacy of greater occipital nerve block for the treatment of migraine: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2018; 165 (165) 129-133
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Woldeamanuel YW, Rapoport AM, Cowan RP. The place of corticosteroids in migraine attack management: a 65-year systematic review with pooled analysis and critical appraisal. Cephalalgia 2015; 35 (11) 996-1024
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 25 Lipton RB, Stewart WF, Stone AM, Láinez MJ, Sawyer JP. ; Disability in Strategies of Care Study group. Stratified care vs step care strategies for migraine: the Disability in Strategies of Care (DISC) Study: a randomized trial. JAMA 2000; 284 (20) 2599-2605
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Burstein R, Cutrer MF, Yarnitsky D. The development of cutaneous allodynia during a migraine attack clinical evidence for the sequential recruitment of spinal and supraspinal nociceptive neurons in migraine. Brain 2000; 123 (Pt 8): 1703-1709
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 27 Mathew NT. Early intervention with almotriptan improves sustained pain-free response in acute migraine. Headache 2003; 43 (10) 1075-1079
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 28 Goadsby PJ, Zanchin G, Geraud G. , et al. Early vs. non-early intervention in acute migraine-‘Act when Mild (AwM)’. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of almotriptan. Cephalalgia 2008; 28 (04) 383-391
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 29 Silberstein SD, Mannix LK, Goldstein J. , et al. Multimechanistic (sumatriptan-naproxen) early intervention for the acute treatment of migraine. Neurology 2008; 71 (02) 114-121
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 30 Silberstein S, Dodick D. Acute migraine therapy. In: Silberstein S, Dodick D. , eds. Migraine. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press; 2016: 135-161
    Google Scholar
  • 31 Lipton RB. Risk factors for and management of medication overuse headache. Continuum (Minneap Minn) 2015; 21 (4 Headache): 1118-1131
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 32 Bigal ME, Serrano D, Buse D, Scher A, Stewart WF, Lipton RB. Acute migraine medications and evolution from episodic to chronic migraine: a longitudinal population-based study. Headache 2008; 48 (08) 1157-1168
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 33 Green AL, Gu P, De Felice M, Dodick D, Ossipov MH, Porreca F. Increased susceptibility to cortical spreading depression in an animal model of medication-overuse headache. Cephalalgia 2014; 34 (08) 594-604
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 34 Supornsilpchai W, le Grand SM, Srikiatkhachorn A. Cortical hyperexcitability and mechanism of medication-overuse headache. Cephalalgia 2010; 30 (09) 1101-1109
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 35 Lipton RB, Diener HC, Robbins MS, Garas SY, Patel K. Caffeine in the management of patients with headache. J Headache Pain 2017; 18 (01) 107
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 36 Fredholm BB, Bättig K, Holmén J, Nehlig A, Zvartau EE. Actions of caffeine in the brain with special reference to factors that contribute to its widespread use. Pharmacol Rev 1999; 51 (01) 83-133
    Google Scholar
  • 37 Addicott MA, Yang LL, Peiffer AM. , et al. The effect of daily caffeine use on cerebral blood flow: how much caffeine can we tolerate?. Hum Brain Mapp 2009; 30 (10) 3102-3114
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 38 Evers S, Jensen R. ; European Federation of Neurological Societies. Treatment of medication overuse headache--guideline of the EFNS headache panel. Eur J Neurol 2011; 18 (09) 1115-1121
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 39 Loder E, Biondi D. Oral phenobarbital loading: a safe and effective method of withdrawing patients with headache from butalbital compounds. Headache 2003; 43 (08) 904-909
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 40 Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Approval Package for BLA 10300 S-5215. Onabotulinum toxin A. Prophylaxis of headaches in adults with chronic migraine. Approval date Oct 15, 2010. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/bla/2010/103000Orig1s5215.pdf . Accessed May 13, 2018
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 41 Diener HC, Dodick DW, Aurora SK. , et al; PREEMPT 2 Chronic Migraine Study Group. OnabotulinumtoxinA for treatment of chronic migraine: results from the double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase of the PREEMPT 2 trial. Cephalalgia 2010; 30 (07) 804-814
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 42 Aurora SK, Dodick DW, Turkel CC. , et al; PREEMPT 1 Chronic Migraine Study Group. OnabotulinumtoxinA for treatment of chronic migraine: results from the double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase of the PREEMPT 1 trial. Cephalalgia 2010; 30 (07) 793-803
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 43 Silberstein SD. Preventive migraine treatment. Continuum (Minneap Minn) 2015; 21 (4 Headache): 973-989
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 44 Simpson DM, Hallett M, Ashman EJ. , et al. Practice guideline update summary: Botulinum neurotoxin for the treatment of blepharospasm, cervical dystonia, adult spasticity, and headache: report of the Guideline Development Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology 2016; 86 (19) 1818-1826
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 45 Silberstein SD, Holland S, Freitag F, Dodick DW, Argoff C, Ashman E. ; Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society. Evidence-based guideline update: pharmacologic treatment for episodic migraine prevention in adults: report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society. Neurology 2012; 78 (17) 1337-1345
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 46 Diener HC, Agosti R, Allais G. , et al; TOPMAT-MIG-303 Investigators Group. Cessation versus continuation of 6-month migraine preventive therapy with topiramate (PROMPT): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet Neurol 2007; 6 (12) 1054-1062
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 47 Radat F, Mekies C, Géraud G. , et al. Anxiety, stress and coping behaviours in primary care migraine patients: results of the SMILE study. Cephalalgia 2008; 28 (11) 1115-1125
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 48 Penzien DB, Irby MB, Smitherman TA, Rains JC, Houle TT. Well established and empirically supported behavioral treatments for migraine. Curr Pain Headache Rep 2015; 19 (07) 34
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 49 Powers SW, Kashikar-Zuck SM, Allen JR. , et al. Cognitive behavioral therapy plus amitriptyline for chronic migraine in children and adolescents: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA 2013; 310 (24) 2622-2630
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 50 Puledda F, Shields K. Non-pharmacological approaches for migraine. Neurotherapeutics 2018; 15 (02) 336-345
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 51 Stokes DA, Lappin MS. Neurofeedback and biofeedback with 37 migraineurs: a clinical outcome study. Behav Brain Funct 2010; 6: 9
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 52 Eftekhari S, Warfvinge K, Blixt FW, Edvinsson L. Differentiation of nerve fibers storing CGRP and CGRP receptors in the peripheral trigeminovascular system. J Pain 2013; 14 (11) 1289-1303
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 53 Goadsby PJ, Edvinsson L, Ekman R. Vasoactive peptide release in the extracerebral circulation of humans during migraine headache. Ann Neurol 1990; 28 (02) 183-187
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 54 Lassen LH, Haderslev PA, Jacobsen VB, Iversen HK, Sperling B, Olesen J. CGRP may play a causative role in migraine. Cephalalgia 2002; 22 (01) 54-61
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 55 Olesen J, Diener HC, Husstedt IW. , et al; BIBN 4096 BS Clinical Proof of Concept Study Group. Calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist BIBN 4096 BS for the acute treatment of migraine. N Engl J Med 2004; 350 (11) 1104-1110
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 56 Ho TW, Mannix LK, Fan X. , et al; MK-0974 Protocol 004 study group. Randomized controlled trial of an oral CGRP receptor antagonist, MK-0974, in acute treatment of migraine. Neurology 2008; 70 (16) 1304-1312
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 57 Voss T, Lipton RB, Dodick DW. , et al. A phase IIb randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of ubrogepant for the acute treatment of migraine. Cephalalgia 2016; 36 (09) 887-898
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 58 Bigal ME, Dodick DW, Krymchantowski AV. , et al. TEV-48125 for the preventive treatment of chronic migraine: efficacy at early time points. Neurology 2016; 87 (01) 41-48
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 59 Tso AR, Goadsby PJ. Anti-CGRP monoclonal antibodies: the next era of migraine prevention?. Curr Treat Options Neurol 2017; 19 (08) 27
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 60 Depre C, Antalik L, Starling A. , et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effect of erenumab on exercise time during a treadmill test in patients with stable angina. Abstract presented at International Headache Congress; September 7–10, 2017 ; Vancouver, Canada
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 61 Schoenen J, Vandersmissen B, Jeangette S. , et al. Migraine prevention with a supraorbital transcutaneous stimulator: a randomized controlled trial. Neurology 2013; 80 (08) 697-704
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 62 Liu Y, Dong Z, Wang R. , et al. Migraine prevention using different frequencies of transcutaneous occipital nerve stimulation: a randomized controlled trial. J Pain 2017; 18 (08) 1006-1015
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 63 Lipton RB, Dodick DW, Silberstein SD. , et al. Single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation for acute treatment of migraine with aura: a randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, sham-controlled trial. Lancet Neurol 2010; 9 (04) 373-380
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 64 Bhola R, Kinsella E, Giffin N. , et al. Single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (sTMS) for the acute treatment of migraine: evaluation of outcome data for the UK post market pilot program. J Headache Pain 2015; 16: 535
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 65 Barbanti P, Grazzi L, Egeo G, Padovan AM, Liebler E, Bussone G. Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation for acute treatment of high-frequency and chronic migraine: an open-label study. J Headache Pain 2015; 16: 61
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 66 Magis D, Gerard P, Schoenen J. Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) for headache prophylaxis: initial experience. J Headache Pain 2013; 14: 198
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 67 Silberstein SD, Calhoun AH, Lipton RB. , et al; EVENT Study Group. Chronic migraine headache prevention with noninvasive vagus nerve stimulation: the EVENT study. Neurology 2016; 87 (05) 529-538
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 68 Schwartz BS, Stewart WF, Lipton RB. Lost workdays and decreased work effectiveness associated with headache in the workplace. J Occup Environ Med 1997; 39 (04) 320-327
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 69 Jensen R. Pathophysiological mechanisms of tension-type headache: a review of epidemiological and experimental studies. Cephalalgia 1999; 19 (06) 602-621
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 70 Bendtsen L. Central sensitization in tension-type headache--possible pathophysiological mechanisms. Cephalalgia 2000; 20 (05) 486-508
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 71 von Graffenried B, Nüesch E. Non-migrainous headache for the evaluation of oral analgesics. Br J Clin Pharmacol 1980; 10 (Suppl. 02) 225S-231S
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 72 Steiner TJ, Lange R, Voelker M. Aspirin in episodic tension-type headache: placebo-controlled dose-ranging comparison with paracetamol. Cephalalgia 2003; 23 (01) 59-66
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 73 Schachtel BP, Furey SA, Thoden WR. Nonprescription ibuprofen and acetaminophen in the treatment of tension-type headache. J Clin Pharmacol 1996; 36 (12) 1120-1125
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 74 Diamond S. Ibuprofen versus aspirin and placebo in the treatment of muscle contraction headache. Headache 1983; 23 (05) 206-210
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 75 Dahlöf CG, Jacobs LD. Ketoprofen, paracetamol and placebo in the treatment of episodic tension-type headache. Cephalalgia 1996; 16 (02) 117-123
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 76 Miller DS, Talbot CA, Simpson W, Korey A. A comparison of naproxen sodium, acetaminophen and placebo in the treatment of muscle contraction headache. Headache 1987; 27 (07) 392-396
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 77 Derry S, Wiffen PJ, Moore RA, Bendtsen L. Ibuprofen for acute treatment of episodic tension-type headache in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015; 7 (07) CD011474
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 78 Stephens G, Derry S, Moore RA. Paracetamol (acetaminophen) for acute treatment of episodic tension-type headache in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2016; 6 (06) CD011889
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 79 Penzien DB, Rains JC, Lipchik GL, Creer TL. Behavioral interventions for tension-type headache: overview of current therapies and recommendation for a self-management model for chronic headache. Curr Pain Headache Rep 2004; 8 (06) 489-499
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 80 Bendtsen L. Drug and nondrug treatment in tension-type headache. Ther Adv Neurol Disorder 2009; 2 (03) 155-161
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 81 Bendtsen L, Jensen R. Mirtazapine is effective in the prophylactic treatment of chronic tension-type headache. Neurology 2004; 62 (10) 1706-1711
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 82 Zissis NP, Harmoussi S, Vlaikidis N. , et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of venlafaxine XR in out-patients with tension-type headache. Cephalalgia 2007; 27 (04) 315-324
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 83 Lampl C, Marecek S, May A, Bendtsen L. A prospective, open-label, long-term study of the efficacy and tolerability of topiramate in the prophylaxis of chronic tension-type headache. Cephalalgia 2006; 26 (10) 1203-1208
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 84 Jackson JL, Kuriyama A, Hayashino Y. Botulinum toxin A for prophylactic treatment of migraine and tension headaches in adults: a meta-analysis. JAMA 2012; 307 (16) 1736-1745
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 85 Karadaş Ö, Gül HL, Inan LE. Lidocaine injection of pericranial myofascial trigger points in the treatment of frequent episodic tension-type headache. J Headache Pain 2013; 14: 44
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 86 Moraska AF, Stenerson L, Butryn N, Krutsch JP, Schmiege SJ, Mann JD. Myofascial trigger point-focused head and neck massage for recurrent tension-type headache: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Clin J Pain 2015; 31 (02) 159-168
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar