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Current therapies for prophylaxis of pediatric migraine

Ann Pakalnis1

  • 1Ohio State University, Columbus Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Drive, Columbus, OH 43206, USA. pakalnisa@pediatrics.ohio-state.edu

Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics
|October 9, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric migraine affects many children, impacting school and family life. Antiepileptic drugs show promise for migraine prevention in children, leveraging existing safety data.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

  • Migraine headaches are prevalent in children and adolescents (3.2-10.6%).
  • Frequent pediatric migraines disrupt family life and school attendance.
  • Limited data exists on current pediatric migraine prophylactic treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the utility of antiepileptic drugs for pediatric migraine prophylaxis.
  • To leverage existing safety data from pediatric epilepsy studies for new migraine treatments.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on pediatric migraine treatment.
  • Analysis of the neurogenic hypothesis in migraine symptomatology.
  • Examination of antiepileptic drug safety profiles in children.

Main Results:

  • Antiepileptic drugs are increasingly considered for migraine prophylaxis.
  • Existing safety data in pediatric epilepsy facilitates childhood migraine research.
  • Neurogenic mechanisms support the investigation of these drugs.

Conclusions:

  • Antiepileptic drugs represent a promising avenue for pediatric migraine prophylaxis.
  • Further research is warranted to establish efficacy and optimal use in children.
  • Leveraging prior safety data can accelerate clinical trials.

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