Miller, S;
Watkins, L;
Matharu, M;
(2017)
Treatment of intractable chronic cluster headache by occipital nerve stimulation: a cohort of 51 patients.
European Journal of Neurology
, 24
(2)
pp. 381-390.
10.1111/ene.13215.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Chronic cluster headache is a rare, highly disabling primary headache condition. When medically intractable, occipital nerve stimulation can offer effective treatment. Open-label series have provided data on small cohorts only. METHODS: We analyzed 51 subjects to evaluate the long-term outcomes of highly intractable chronic cluster headache with occipital nerve stimulation. Patients with intractable chronic cluster headache were implanted with occipital nerve stimulators during the period 2007-2014. The primary endpoint was improvement in daily attack frequency. Secondary endpoints included attack severity, attack duration, quality-of-life measures, headache disability scores and adverse events. RESULTS: We studied 51 patients [35 males; mean age at implant 47.78 (range 31-70) years; mean follow-up 39.17 (range 2-81) months]. Nineteen patients had other chronic headache types in addition in chronic cluster headache. At final follow-up, there was a 46.1% improvement in attack frequency (P < 0001) across all patients, 49.5% (P < 0.001) in those with cluster headache alone and 40.3% (P = 0.036) in those with multiple phenotypes. There were no significant differences in response in those with or without multiple headache types. The overall response rate (defined as at least a 50% improvement in attack frequency) was 52.9%. Significant reductions were also seen in attack duration and severity. Improvements were noted in headache disability scores and quality-of-life measures. Triptan use of responders dropped by 62.56%, resulting in significant cost savings. Adverse event rates were highly favorable. CONCLUSION: Occipital nerve stimulation appears to be a safe and efficacious treatment for highly intractable chronic cluster headache even after a mean follow-up of over 3 years.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Treatment of intractable chronic cluster headache by occipital nerve stimulation: a cohort of 51 patients |
| Location: | England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1111/ene.13215 |
| Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ene.13215 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | cluster headache; headache; neurostimulation; occipital nerve stimulation |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology > Brain Repair and Rehabilitation |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1534120 |
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