Neuromodulation in drug-resistant primary headaches: what have we learned?

Abstract

In the last years neurostimulation procedures have been introduced to treat primary neurovascular headaches, namely cluster headache and migraine. Hypothalamic stimulation is now accepted as therapeutic procedure to treat drug-resistant chronic cluster headache when patients suffer from daily multiple attacks. The inadequacy of the definition of the term "chronic" according to the International Headache Society criteria for both cluster headache and migraine when it is used to select patients for neurostimulation procedures is now evident. On the same side, there is no agreement about the use of the term "drug-resistant" again when it is used to select patients for neurostimulation procedures. We have proposed that only patients suffering from daily neurovascular headaches in the last 1-2 years, with complete drug-resistance should be proposed for invasive procedures.