title: Melatonin 4 mg as prophylactic therapy for primary headaches: a pilot study.
abstract: There is growing evidence that headaches are connected to melatonin secretion. Our aim was to assess the potential effectiveness of melatonin for primary headache prevention. Forty-nine patients (37 with migraine and 12 with chronic tension-type headache, TTH) were prescribed oral melatonin, 4 mg, 30 minutes before bedtime for six months. Forty-one (83.6%) of the 49 patients completed the study, while eight dropped out for personal reasons. A statistically significant reduction in headache frequency was found between baseline and final follow-up after six months of treatment (p=0.033 for TTH patients and p<0.001 for migraineurs). The Headache Impact Test score was significantly reduced in both groups of headache patients (p=0.002 and p<0.001, respectively). At baseline, melatonin levels, measured both during a headache attack and a pain-free period, did not differ between patients with TTH and migraineurs (p=0.539 and p=0.693, respectively), and no statistically significant differences in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores were found between the two groups. This pilot study shows promising results, in terms of headache frequency reduction and daily quality of life improvement, in both groups.
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bougea
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Spantideas
authors.forename: Vasilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lyras
authors.forename: Theodoros
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Avramidis
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thomaidis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D018781:Tension-Type Headache / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D008550:Melatonin