[Faster, higher, further. Current thinking on acute and prophylactic treatment of migraine]

In the past months significant new data have been published in the field of headache and migraine. With the publication of the second and revised version of the classification of headache disorders, new entities such as chronic migraine have been introduced. Moreover, the repertoire of drugs available for the treatment of migraine has changed as well. Whereas ergot derivatives have been almost completely taken off the market, seven triptans in 23 different preparations are now available and allow the physician to customize the treatment of acute attacks. CGRP antagonists, a completely new generation of anti-migraine compounds for the treatment of acute attacks, have now been tested successfully in clinical trials. For the prophylaxis of migraine, several agents that had been well established for decades have recently been taken off the market too, but new agents such as topiramate, which possesses different modes of action, have been tested successfully and are now available for the prophylaxis of migraine. The following review will summarize the newest developments in acute therapy and prophylactic treatment of migraine.