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Traumatic head injury in cluster headache: cause or effect?
Giorgio Lambru1, Manjit Matharu
1Headache Group, Institute of Neurology, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, UK.
Current Pain and Headache Reports
|January 26, 2012
Summary
Post-traumatic headache (PTH) is common, with migraine and tension-type being frequent. Cluster headache (CH) onset after head trauma is rare, but CH patients have more head injuries, suggesting a complex link.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroscience
- Headache Medicine
Background:
- Post-traumatic headache (PTH) is a recognized condition following head trauma.
- Migraine and tension-type headaches are common PTH phenotypes.
- Cluster headache (CH) onset post-trauma is rare, but epidemiological data suggest a link.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the association between head trauma and cluster headache.
- To investigate potential causal relationships and risk factors.
- To gain insights into CH pathophysiology and traumatic brain injury mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on head trauma and headache phenotypes.
- Epidemiological comparison of head injury history in CH patients versus controls.
- Analysis of proposed hypotheses regarding the trauma-CH association.
Main Results:
- While CH onset after head trauma is infrequent, CH patients report higher lifetime incidence of traumatic head injuries compared to migraineurs and the general population.
- Limited methodologically robust studies exist, necessitating further research.
- Three primary hypotheses regarding the association were identified: direct causation, risk factor, or consequence of a CH trait.
Conclusions:
- The relationship between head trauma and cluster headache is complex and not fully understood.
- Further research is crucial to elucidate the pathophysiology of CH and the impact of head trauma.
- Understanding this association may offer novel therapeutic targets for both CH and PTH.
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