title: Drug consumption in medication overuse headache is influenced by brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: University Center for Adaptive Disorders and Headache (UCADH), University of Rome La Sapienza, Polo Pontino, ICOT, Latina, Italy. cherub@inwind.it
authors.forename: Cherubino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Lorenzo
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Lorenzo
authors.forename: Grazia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sances
authors.forename: Natascia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ghiotto
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guaschino
authors.forename: Gaetano S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Grieco
authors.forename: Filippo M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Santorelli
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Casali
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Troisi
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siracusano
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pierelli
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D008715:Methionine; D014633:Valine