Current therapies for prophylaxis of pediatric migraine.
Migraine headaches are a frequent occurrence in the pediatric population. The prevalence in children and adolescents ranges from 3.2 to 10.6%. Frequent migraine attacks negatively impact on family dynamics and school attendance. Effective treatment strategies in adults with migraine are being developed through clinical trials. However, little information on the utility of current medication in pediatric migraine prophylaxis is available. With advent development of neurogenic hypothesis for migraine symptomatology, much recent interest involves the use of antiepileptic drugs for migraine prophylaxis. The ability to study these drugs in childhood migraine is made easier, especially since safety in children has already been addressed in pediatric epilepsy studies.
Pakalnis
Ann
A
Ohio State University, Columbus Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Drive, Columbus, OH 43206, USA. pakalnisa@pediatrics.ohio-state.edu