Preventive Migraine Treatment

This article provides an overview of preventive interventions for migraine, including when to start and how to choose a treatment, pharmacologic options (both older oral treatments and new monoclonal antibodies to calcitonin gene-related peptide [CGRP] or its receptor), nonpharmacologic treatment such as neuromodulation, and preventive treatment of refractory migraine. RECENT FINDINGS The migraine preventive treatment landscape has been transformed by the development of monoclonal antibodies targeting CGRP or its receptor. These treatments, which are given subcutaneously or intravenously monthly or quarterly, have high efficacy and were well tolerated in clinical trials. Emerging real-world studies have found higher rates of adverse events than were seen in clinical trials. They are currently recommended for use if two traditional preventive therapies have proven inadequate. Since the commonly cited 2012 American Headache Society/American Academy of Neurology migraine prevention guidelines were released, clinical trials supporting the preventive use of lisinopril, candesartan, and memantine have been published. Neuromodulation devices, including external trigeminal nerve stimulation and single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation devices, have modest evidence to support preventive use. The American Headache Society/American Academy of Neurology guidelines for the preventive treatment of migraine are currently being updated. A new class of oral CGRP receptor antagoni...
Source: CONTINUUM: Lifelong Learning in Neurology - Category: Neurology Tags: REVIEW ARTICLES Source Type: research