Effectiveness of medication in cluster headache

BMC Neurology

Andreas Khouri¹  Jörg Scheidt¹  Yannic Siebenhaar¹  Tina Katharina Amann¹  Johannes Drescher²  Peter Kropp³  Charly Gaul⁴ 

[1] Institute of Information Systems, University of Applied Sciences Hof, Hof, Germany;Institute of Information Systems, University of Applied Sciences Hof, Hof, Germany;Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany;Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany;Migraine and Headache Clinic Königstein, Königstein, Germany;

关键词: Cluster headache;    Acute medication;    Effectiveness;    Citizen science;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12883-021-02195-8

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe aim of this work is to analyze the reports on cluster headache attacks collected online in the citizen science project CLUE with respect to the effectiveness of drugs taken during the attacks. The collection of data within the framework of citizen science projects opens up the possibility of investigating the effectiveness of acute medication on the basis of a large number of individual attacks instead of a simple survey of patients.MethodsData from 8369 cluster headache attacks, containing information about acute medication taken and the assessment of its effect, were collected from 133 participants using an online platform and a smartphone app. Chi-square tests were used to investigate whether the effect of the three recommended acute drugs differs when distinguishing between participants with chronic or episodic cluster headache. Furthermore, it was investigated whether there are differences between smokers and non-smokers in the assessment of the effect of the acute medication.ResultsOur participants rated the effectiveness of sumatriptan 6 mg s.c. as significantly better than oxygen and zolmitriptan nasal spray. Oxygen is considered to be significantly better in episodic versus chronic cluster headache, and sumatriptan is considered to be significantly better in chronic versus episodic cluster headache. Smokers rate the effect of oxygen as significantly better than non-smokers.ConclusionsDespite some methodological limitations, web-based data collection is able to support findings from clinical trials in a real world setting about effectiveness of acute cluster headache treatment in several situations.

【 授权许可】

CC BY