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Nat Rev Neurol 2021 May 26. Epub 2021 May 26.

Neurology and Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Migraine is a complex genetic brain disorder with an intricate pathogenesis and polymorphous clinical presentations, particularly in children. In this Perspective, we describe the different phenotypes of migraine in children, including conditions that have been referred to in the International Classification of Headache Disorders as "syndromes that may be related to migraine''. Evidence is presented for the integration of abdominal migraine, cyclical vomiting syndrome, benign paroxysmal vertigo, benign paroxysmal torticollis and infantile colic into the unified diagnosis of 'childhood migraine syndrome' on the basis of clinical and epidemiological characteristics, and shared inheritance. Read More

Neurogastroenterol Motil 2019 06;31 Suppl 2:e13604

Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The increasing recognition of cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) in adults prompted the development of these evidence-based guidelines on the management of CVS in adults, which was sponsored by the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society (ANMS) and the Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome Association (CVSA). GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) framework was used and a professional librarian performed the literature search. The expert committee included the President of the CVSA who brought a patient perspective into the deliberations. Read More

Front Neurol 2019 12;10:364. Epub 2019 Apr 12.

Dipartimento di Promozione della Salute, Materno-Infantile, di Medicina Interna e Specialistica di Eccellenza "G. D'Alessandro", University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.

Pediatric migraine remains still a challenge for the headache specialists as concerns both diagnostic and therapeutic aspects. The less ability of children to describe the exact features of their migraines and the lack of reliable biomarker for migraine contribute to complicate the diagnostic process. Therefore, there's need for new effective tools for supporting diagnostic and therapeutic approach in children with migraine. Read More

Headache 2018 Apr 22;58(4):512-524. Epub 2018 Jan 22.

Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA.

Objective: To assess the impact of parental migraine on adolescents (aged 13-21 years) living within the parental home from the adolescent's perspective.

Background: Family members are affected by their parent's migraine. We surveyed adolescents on the social, academic, and emotional effects of their parent's migraine. Read More

Pediatr Emerg Care 2020 Jun;36(6):e310-e317

From the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of families regarding their expectations and experience of visiting the emergency department (ED) for migraine.

Methods: This was a qualitative study involving the families of 25 patients aged 10 to 18 years receiving ED care for acute migraine. Following their visit, independent semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with both the patient and parent or guardian. Read More

J Pain 2017 06 18;18(6):637-644. Epub 2017 Jan 18.

Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio; Headache Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio. Electronic address:

We compared headache frequency trajectories between clinical trial participants who received cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and amitriptyline (CBT+A) or headache education (HE) and amitriptyline (HE+A) to determine if there was a differential time course of treatment response between the groups. One hundred thirty-five patients (age 10-17 years) diagnosed with chronic migraine participated, attending 8 one-hour one-on-one CBT or HE sessions with a trained psychologist for 8 weekly sessions, 2 sessions at weeks 12 and 16, and a post-treatment visit at week 20. Participants kept daily headache diaries and completed take-home assignments between visits. Read More

J Pain 2017 04 3;18(4):366-375. Epub 2016 Dec 3.

Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Spain; Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), Esplugues, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Electronic address:

Migraine with aura is a subtype of migraine characterized by transient neurological disturbances that usually precede headache. Cortical spreading depression (CSD) is the likely pathophysiological correlate of the aura phase of migraine, found in common and rare forms of migraine, such as familial hemiplegic migraine. CSD is a depolarization wave that propagates across the cerebral gray matter transiently suppressing neuronal activity. Read More

J Pain 2016 06 10;17(6):694-706. Epub 2016 Mar 10.

MEG Center, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Unlabelled: To investigate the spatial heterogeneity of cortical excitability in adolescents with migraine, magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings at a sampling rate of 6,000 Hz were obtained from 35 adolescents with an acute migraine and 35 age- and sex-matched healthy control participants during an auditory-motor task. Neuromagnetic activation from low- to high-frequency ranges (5-1,000 Hz) was measured at sensor and source levels. The heterogeneity of cortical excitability was quantified within each functional modality (auditory vs motor) and hemispherical lateralization. Read More

J Headache Pain 2014 Mar 18;15:15. Epub 2014 Mar 18.

Headache Center, C, Mondino National Institute of Neurology Foundation, IRCCS, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.

Headache is one of the most common disorders in childhood, with an estimated 75% of children reporting significant headache by the age of 15 years. Pediatric migraine is the most frequent recurrent headache disorder, occurring in up to 28% of older teenagers. Headaches rank third among the illness-related causes of school absenteeism and result in substantial psychosocial impairment among pediatric patients. Read More

J Pain 2013 Oct 19;14(10):1196-207. Epub 2013 Jul 19.

School of Therapeutic Sciences, SRH University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address:

Unlabelled: Migraine and tension-type headache have a high prevalence in children and adolescents. In addition to common pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions, music therapy has been shown to be efficient in the prophylaxis of pediatric migraine. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of specific music therapy techniques in the treatment of adolescents with primary headache (tension-type headache and migraine). Read More

J Pain 2013 Dec 21;14(12):1553-63. Epub 2013 Jun 21.

Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio. Electronic address:

Unlabelled: To quantitatively assess cortical dysfunction in pediatric migraine, 31 adolescents with acute migraine and age- and gender-matched controls were studied using a magnetoencephalography (MEG) system at a sampling rate of 6,000 Hz. Neuromagnetic brain activation was elicited by a finger-tapping task. The spectral and spatial signatures of magnetoencephalography data in 5 to 2,884 Hz were analyzed using Morlet wavelet and beamformers. Read More

Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2013 6;9:351-5. Epub 2013 Mar 6.

Center for Childhood Headache, Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Department of Mental Health, Physical, and Preventive Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples.

Background: Migraine without aura is a primary headache which is frequent and disabling in the developmental age group. No reports are available concerning the prevalence and impact of migraine in children on the degree of stress experienced by parents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of maternal stress in a large pediatric sample of individuals affected by migraine without aura. Read More

Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2012 1;8:509-13. Epub 2012 Nov 1.

Center for Childhood Headache, Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Second University of Naples, Naples.

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the cognitive functioning of children affected by headache, pinpointing the differences in intelligence style between subjects affected by migraine without aura and subjects with tension-type headache.

Methods: The study population consisted of 147 children (mean age 10.82 ± 2. Read More

Headache 2008 Jul;48(7):994-1004

The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43205-2696, USA.

Objective: To use a case-control design to evaluate the emotional and behavioral functioning of children with migraine.

Background: Research has indicated that children with migraine are at increased risk for emotional and behavioral problems such as depression and anxiety; however, methodological limitations in sample definitions, measurement strategies, and comparison groups remain problematic.

Method: Forty-seven participants diagnosed with migraine at a pediatric headache center participated in a home-based study of child functioning using standardized measures. Read More

Dev Med Child Neurol 2008 Jul;50(7):541-5

Department of Pediatrics, Royal University Hospital and University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.

The aim of our observational study was to highlight some clinical observations on chronic daily headache (CDH) in children and adolescents. Data on patients < or =18 years aged presenting with CDH to the Pediatric Headache Clinic at the Royal University Hospital, Saskatoon, Canada, were collected prospectively and sequentially from February 2004 to July 2006. Standardized data sheets and definitions were used. Read More

Eur J Pain 2008 Nov 28;12(8):1090-101. Epub 2008 Mar 28.

Department of Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruprecht-Karls-University of Heidelberg, Central Institute of Mental Health, Square J5 D-68159 Mannheim, Germany.

In adults, evidence is accumulating that migraine is associated with altered central processing of pain stimuli and, possibly, changes in the allocation of attentional resources to such stimuli. In pediatric migraine, however, little is known about altered pain processing. We examined 15 children with migraine and 15 controls (age 10-15) in an oddball standards task. Read More

Headache 2000 Mar;40(3):200-3

Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, USA.

Objectives: Our goals were (1) to investigate the causes of acute headache in childhood from the emergency department perspective and (2) to search for clinical clues that might distinguish headache associated with serious underlying disease.

Background: The clinical presentation of headache in children and adolescents can be separated into 5 temporal patterns: acute, acute-recurrent, chronic progressive, chronic nonprogressive, and mixed. Few data exist regarding acute headache in children. Read More