Migraines in Children and Adolescents

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neuropharmacology and Neuropathology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 January 2023) | Viewed by 6781

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Headache Center, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
Interests: children; headache; migraine; pain; clinical neurophysiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Headache Center, Neuroalgology Dpt, IRCCS Foundation "Carlo Besta" Neurological Institute, 20133 Milan, Italy
Interests: primary or symptomatic forms of headache; complex forms (management overuse of analgesics); migraine and cluster headache; development of innovative and non-pharmacological therapies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Although pediatric migraines represent a largely prevalent condition, there are still many unsolved problems associated with them. First, the diagnosis is fundamentally clinical, but the International Headache Disorders Classification 3rd edition (ICHD3) criteria cannot always be used on children and adolescents, and are mainly based on adult patients. Furthermore, the clinical characteristics of pediatric migraines are often peculiar. Second, therapeutic possibilities are far narrower for pediatric migraines compared to adult migraines. While antiCGRP agents are revolutionizing the treatment of migraines in adulthood, these drugs still required randomized controlled trials in the pediatric setting. Moreover, in children and adolescents, the efficacy of the currently available medications is challenged by the huge dimension of the placebo effect. Since sufferance and disability caused by migraines in pediatric patients are not lower than in adults, research is needed to refine the unique characters of the disease in the pediatric population and to explore new therapeutic techniques.

Dr. Massimiliano Valeriani
Dr. Licia Grazzi
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • migraine
  • children
  • adolescents
  • therapy
  • ICHD

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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9 pages, 535 KiB  
Article
The Be-Home Kids Program: An Integrated Approach for Delivering Behavioral Therapies to Adolescents with Episodic and Chronic Migraine
by Licia Grazzi, Danilo Antonio Montisano, Alberto Raggi and Paul Rizzoli
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(4), 699; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13040699 - 21 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1197
Abstract
Migraine disorders are common in populations of children and adolescents. There are different pharmacological treatments for migraine in young patients, but none have specific indications, and doubts about their efficacy exist. The feasibility and effectiveness of behavioral approaches have already been documented in [...] Read more.
Migraine disorders are common in populations of children and adolescents. There are different pharmacological treatments for migraine in young patients, but none have specific indications, and doubts about their efficacy exist. The feasibility and effectiveness of behavioral approaches have already been documented in clinical experiences, and they are generally associated with fewer or no unpleasant effects. Among them, mindfulness practice offers a suitable alternative to other adolescent treatments. We present the results of a pilot study, the Be-Home Kids program, performed during the COVID-19 emergency. It was delivered by web and included education on drug use, lifestyle issues, and six sessions of mindfulness-based behavioral practice. We assessed headache frequency, medication intake, and other psychological variables and followed twenty-one adolescents with chronic or high-frequency episodic migraine without aura for 12 months. Results indicated an overall clinical improvement, particularly a 64% reduction in headache frequency over 12 months. In conclusion, our results indicate that a combined treatment which includes patients’ education and six sessions of mindfulness-based practice delivered over the web, can be of great support in reducing headache frequency, medication intake, and the associated psychological burden disability in adolescent migraine patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Migraines in Children and Adolescents)
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6 pages, 244 KiB  
Communication
Prospective, Cross-Sectional Study Finds No Common Viruses in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Children with Pseudotumor Cerebri
by Rony Cohen, Muhammad Mahajnah, Yulia Shlonsky, Orit Golan-Shany, Azriel Romem, Ayelet Halevy, Keren Natan and Jacob Genizi
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(2), 361; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13020361 - 19 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1117
Abstract
Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) in children is a rare condition whose underlying cause remains largely unknown. No study has yet systematically examined viral infection as a cause of PTC. The current study aimed to characterize PTC in children and investigate the possible role of [...] Read more.
Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) in children is a rare condition whose underlying cause remains largely unknown. No study has yet systematically examined viral infection as a cause of PTC. The current study aimed to characterize PTC in children and investigate the possible role of acute viral infection of the central nervous system in its pathogenesis. A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted in three centers in Israel. Participants were 50 children aged 0.5–18 years, of whom 27 had a definitive diagnosis of pseudotumor cerebri (the study group) and 23 comprised a control. Data collected included clinical presentation, imaging, treatment, ophthalmic findings, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis. Using the ALLPLEXTM meningitis panel, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to test for the presence of 12 common viruses. PTC patients (mean age 12 ± 4.3 years; 14 males, 13 females) had mean opening pressure of 41.9 ±10.2 mmH2O. All PTC patients had papilledema, and 25 (93%) had PTC symptoms. No viruses were found in the PTC group, while in the control group, one patient tested positive for Epstein–Barr virus and another for human herpesvirus type 6. Overall, in our study, PTC was not found to be associated with the presence of viruses in CSF. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Migraines in Children and Adolescents)
11 pages, 1761 KiB  
Article
Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Migraine in Adolescents. A Retrospective Analysis of the Population Attending the Headache Center in Different Phases of the Pandemic
by Martina Proietti Checchi, Samuela Tarantino, Fabiana Ursitti, Gabriele Monte, Romina Moavero, Giorgia Sforza, Michela Ada Noris Ferilli, Teresa Grimaldi Capitello, Federico Vigevano, Massimiliano Valeriani and Laura Papetti
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(2), 273; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13020273 - 06 Feb 2023
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Abstract
Background: Literature data report that the first COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the progression of migraine both in adults and children. The present study aimed to verify how the migraine course and psychological aspects varied in adolescent patients in relation to some [...] Read more.
Background: Literature data report that the first COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the progression of migraine both in adults and children. The present study aimed to verify how the migraine course and psychological aspects varied in adolescent patients in relation to some of the different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic and compared with the months before COVID-19. In addition, the relationship between the characteristics of headache episodes and psychological and school-related aspects were analyzed. Methods: The study included 418 adolescents. Based on the timing of the evaluation, they were categorized into patients observed before the COVID-19 pandemic (pre COVID) or during the first (COVID 1) or second (COVID 2) wave of the pandemic. Subjects were also categorized into three further groups: those who had high or low frequency of migraine attacks during the month, those who had mild or severe pain during the attack, and those who were taking prophylactic drugs. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scales were utilized to assess depression and anxiety. Results: We observed a significant increase in the frequency of attacks and the use of prophylactic drugs during the COVID 2 period compared to the COVID 1 and pre-COVID periods (p < 0.05). Patients showed higher levels of anxiety and depression during each of the two COVID periods compared with the pre-COVID months (p < 0.05), especially during the COVID 2 period (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our results show long-term negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical parameters and psychological symptoms in adolescents with migraine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Migraines in Children and Adolescents)
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Review

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13 pages, 2258 KiB  
Review
A Narrative Review of Visual Hallucinations in Migraine and Epilepsy: Similarities and Differences in Children and Adolescents
by Daniela D’Agnano, Salvatore Lo Cascio, Edvige Correnti, Vincenzo Raieli and Vittorio Sciruicchio
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(4), 643; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13040643 - 10 Apr 2023
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Abstract
Since the earliest descriptions of the simple visual hallucinations in migraine patients and in subjects suffering from occipital lobe epilepsy, several important issues have arisen in recognizing epileptic seizures of the occipital lobe, which often present with symptoms mimicking migraine. A detailed quantitative [...] Read more.
Since the earliest descriptions of the simple visual hallucinations in migraine patients and in subjects suffering from occipital lobe epilepsy, several important issues have arisen in recognizing epileptic seizures of the occipital lobe, which often present with symptoms mimicking migraine. A detailed quantitative and qualitative clinical scrutiny of timing and characteristics of visual impairment can contribute to avoiding mistakes. Differential diagnosis, in children, might be challenging because of the partial clinical, therapeutic, and pathophysiological overlaps between the two diseases that often coexist. Ictal elementary visual hallucinations are defined by color, shape, size, location, movement, speed of appearance and duration, frequency, and associated symptoms and their progression. The evaluation of the distinctive clinical features of visual aura in migraine and visual hallucinations in occipital epilepsy could contribute to understanding the pathogenetic mechanisms of these two conditions. This paper aims to critically review the available scientific evidence on the main clinical criteria that address diagnosis, as well as similarities and differences in the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the visual impairment in epilepsy and migraine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Migraines in Children and Adolescents)
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