title: Prophylaxis of childhood migraine: topiramate versus propranolol.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Headache is a common disabling neurological disorder and migraine comprises more than half the causes of recurrent headaches in children. Despite extended prevalence of this type of headache there is lack of evidence about best drug treatment for migraine. So we aimed to compare the therapeutic effects of these drugs on childhood migraine.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the current study, a randomized clinical trial consisting of 78 patients according to 2004 International Headache Association criteria were randomly assigned to two groups that matched by age and sex. One of these two groups was treated with Topiramate, while the other was given Propranolol. After one and four months, the efficiency of these treatments was measured in terms of frequency, severity and duration of migraine attacks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results obtained from the data collected showed that of these 78 studied patients, 38 patients received Topiramate treatment (group A) and the rest (40 patients; group B) was treated with Propranolol. The average age of group A was 8.5± 2.9 years and that of group B was 8.3 ± 2.8 years. No significant difference was observed between these two groups in terms of reduction in frequency, severity and duration of migraine attacks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results showed that both treatments had the same efficiency in healing migraine headaches and there was no significant difference between their treating results. However, further studies are needed to examine medical effects of these two medicines.
authors.affiliation: Professor of Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric Neurology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Hassan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Tonekaboni
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor of Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric Neurology Research Center, Urumia University of Medical Sciences, Urumia, Iran.
authors.forename: Ahad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghazavi
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor of Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric Neurology Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Afshin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fayyazi
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor of Pediatric Neurology, Children and Adolescents Health Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khajeh
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor of Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric Neurology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Mahdi
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Taghdiri
authors.affiliation: MSc, Research Consultant, Clinical Research Development Center, Mofid Children's Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abdollah Gorji
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Eznollah
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Azarghashb
keywords: Children; Migraine; Propranolol; Topiramate