[Treatment of headaches]

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Neurology
• Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

• Headaches, including migraine, are common in childhood and adolescence.
• Evidence-based treatment guidelines for pediatric headaches are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a bibliographic review of headache treatment in pediatric populations.
• To identify controlled studies on pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for primary headaches in children and adolescents.

Main Methods:

• Searched Medline database (1966-2001) using terms for headache, migraine, childhood, adolescence, and treatment.
• Included case-control or drug-vs-placebo studies (blinded or open-label).
• Excluded review articles and case reports; focused on primary headaches.

Main Results:

• 104 articles were initially identified; selection criteria yielded a limited number of controlled studies.
• Few drugs have been adequately studied in pediatric populations for headache treatment.
• Both acute and prophylactic treatment strategies were addressed in the selected literature.

Conclusions:

• There is a significant gap in controlled research for headache treatment in pediatric patients.
• Primary headaches in children and adolescents are a crucial area requiring further scientific investigation.
• The limited number of studies highlights the need for more rigorous research to establish effective treatments.