Drug consumption in medication overuse headache is influenced by brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism.
Medication overuse headache (MOH) can be considered a clinical condition at the boundaries between drug addiction and chronic pain disorder. The common 196G > A single-nucleotide polymorphism of BDNF gene, resulting in a valine 66 to methionine (Val66Met), is related with behaviour disorders and substance abuse. With the aim of identifying a worsening factor in MOH, rather than the detection of a specific risk factor for the development of the disease, we investigated whether the presence of a functional BDNF polymorphism might determine clinical differences within a group of 90 MOH patients, particularly in monthly drug consumption, that is the hallmark of disease. Directly comparing MOH patients homozygous for G allele (G/G) with carriers of A allele (non-G/G), we have observed 47 G/G genotypes and 60 non-G/G genotypes. Non-G/G had a higher consumption of monthly drug number (Cohen's d = 0.76) than G/G patients. At multiple regression analysis, the Val66Met BDNF polymorphism emerged as a significant independent predictor of analgesic drug consumption (Beta = 0.33, Cohen's f(2) = 0.134). These findings showed an influence of examined BDNF polymorphism in the MOH clinical features, supporting the idea that MOH is a substance abuse disorder.
Di Lorenzo
Cherubino
C
University Center for Adaptive Disorders and Headache (UCADH), University of Rome La Sapienza, Polo Pontino, ICOT, Latina, Italy. cherub@inwind.it
Di Lorenzo
Giorgio
G
Sances
Grazia
G
Ghiotto
Natascia
N
Guaschino
Elena
E
Grieco
Gaetano S
GS
Santorelli
Filippo M
FM
Casali
Carlo
C
Troisi
Alfonso
A
Siracusano
Alberto
A
Pierelli
Francesco
F
D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000235:genetics*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006261:Headache / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D014633:Valine / Q000235:genetics
D000700:Analgesics; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D008715:Methionine; D014633:Valine