On Sick-Headache

Migraine Pathophysiology

Migraine is the leading cause of years lost due to disability in individuals aged 15 to 49 years. Much has changed over the last three decades about our understanding of this complex neurological disorder. Various phases of migraine have been characterized and are the focus of this review. The premonitory phase involves bothersome symptoms experienced hours to days before migraine pain. Behavioral changes and functional neuroimaging studies point toward hypothalamic involvement during the premonitory and other migraine phases. Migraine aura is a disruptive, reversible neurological phenomenon that affects up to one-third of all migraineurs, and can overlap with the headache phase. The mechanism responsible for this phase is thought to be cortical spreading depolarization through the cortex. This process leads to temporary disruptions in ion homeostasis and the ensuing neuronal dysfunction. The headache phase involves activation of the trigeminocervical complex. Neuropeptides are implicated in trigeminal activation, and calcitonin gene-related peptide in particular has become a promising target of therapeutic intervention for migraine. The final phase of migraine is the postdrome, the period of time from the resolution of headache symptoms until return to baseline following a migraine. People often report neuropsychiatric, sensory, gastrointestinal, and general symptoms during this time, which can limit activity. Elucidating the neuroanatomical, chemical, and neuroimaging correlates of these migraine phases allows for an improved comprehension of the underlying changes associated with migraine symptomatology and can assist with evaluation of arising therapeutics for migraine management.

Dr. Harvey Cushing's attempts to cure migraine based on theories of pathophysiology

A multitude of theories characterized medical thought on migraine in the early 20th century. Newly discovered historical case files revealed Dr. Harvey Cushing's previously unpublished early attempts at surgical cure of migraine. Following institutional review board approval, and through the courtesy of the Alan Mason Chesney Archives, the authors reviewed the microfilm surgical records for The Johns Hopkins Hospital from 1896 to 1912. Patients undergoing surgical intervention by Dr. Harvey Cushing for the treatment of migraine were selected for further review. All 4 patients in the series were women and ranged in age from 29 to 41 years old. The women were admitted and observed in the hospital until a migraine occurred. Surgeries were performed while the women were in the midst of an attack. Cushing used surgical strategies including decompression, temporal artery ligation, and removal of the spine of the second vertebra. In each case, the patients' headaches eventually returned following surgery. Cushing relied on a combination of contemporary theories on migraine including humeral science, vasospastic theory, organic cause, and increased intracranial pressure. His unpublished efforts foreshadowed future surgical efforts at curing migraines.

Self-administered pain-relieving manoeuvres in primary headaches

We investigated the use of self-administered pain-relieving manoeuvres on a sample of 400 patients with primary headaches--represented by an even distribution of migraine without aura (MO), migraine with aura (MA), episodic tension-type headache (TH), and cluster headache (CH)--consecutively seen at Padua and Parma Headache Centres. Manoeuvres on various regions of the head were used by 258 patients (65% of the cases). The most applied procedures were: compression (114 out of 382 manoeuvres; 30%), application of cold (27%), massage (25%) and application of heat (8%). A significant (P < 0.001) relationship was found between headache diagnoses and type of manoeuvre. In MO patients the application of cold (38% of the manoeuvres) and compression (36%), used mainly on the forehead and temples, prevailed; compression, mainly on the temples, was the most frequent procedure (44%) in MA patients. Massage on the temples and nape was the predominant manoeuvre (43%) in TH patients, whereas in the CH group, which more often required heterogeneous procedures, none of the above-mentioned manoeuvres was prevalent. Compression, as a diagnostic criterion for MO, had a sensitivity of 33% and a specificity of 86%; for the application of cold the figures were 36% and 84%, respectively. Massage had a sensitivity of 33% and a specificity of 80% for TH. The efficacy of the self-administered manoeuvres in reducing pain was scarce. Only 8% of the manoeuvres, in fact, resulted in a good or excellent pain control. Moreover, the efficacy of the manoeuvre was often momentary, wearing off when the manoeuvre stopped. In spite of this, 46% of the subjects used the manoeuvres constantly, at each attack.