ID 134 – Transcranial magnetic stimulation in medication overuse headache: A new approach?. Issue 3 (March 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Monti, F.; Granato, A.; Semenic, M.; Fantini, J.; Manganotti, P.
• Is Part Of: Clinical neurophysiology. Volume 127:Issue 3(2016:Mar.)
• Page Start: e119
• Page End: e120
• Publication Date: 2016-03
• Subjects: Neurophysiology -- Periodicals; Electroencephalography -- Periodicals; Electromyography -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; 612.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2015.11.405
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1388-2457

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of high-frequency rTMS in medication overuse headache (MOH). Methods: A eight-month prospective, single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial on patients with MOH consecutively presenting in our Headache Centre was performed. Patients were randomized into rTMS or sham-TMS group. Treatment consisted of 10 consecutively TMS sessions delivered on left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, each session being 10 trains of 2-s duration, separated by 30-s pause, 20 Hz frequency, 100% motor threshold intensity. Demographic information, MIDAS score, headache days (HD), hours of headache (HH), and symptomatic drugs (SD) in the 3 months before (T0), and in the 3 months after stimulation (T1) were analyzed using SPSS 14.0. Results: We enrolled 14 patients (12 F, 2 M; mean age 45 ± 10), 7 patients underwent rTMS and 7 sham-TMS. In T1, we found a significant reduction of all analyzed variables both in rTMS and in sham-TMS group. Higher improvement was found in rTMS group in HD (46% vs 36%), HH (50% vs 32%), and in MIDAS score (60% vs 43%). SD likewise reduced in both rTMS and sham-TMS group (60% vs 61%). Conclusions: Our preliminary data suggest that high-frequency rTMS is slightly superior to sham in treating medication overuse headache.