Portocarrero-Sánchez Leonardo, Rizea Cristian, Díez-Tejedor Exuperio, León-Ruiz Moisés, Díaz-de-Terán Javier
Neurology Department, University Hospital La Paz, 28046 Madrid, Spain.
Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research, IdiPAZ, La Paz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28046 Madrid, Spain.
Brain Sci. 2025 May 23;15(6):554. doi: 10.3390/brainsci15060554.
: Cluster headache (CH) is a debilitating primary headache disorder characterized by severe unilateral pain attacks. Chronic CH (CCH) poses significant treatment challenges, especially in refractory cases. Neuromodulation, including repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), offers a potential alternative; however, evidence for its efficacy in CCH is lacking. : A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover pilot study was conducted. Eligibility criteria included patients with refractory CCH (rCCH), who were then randomized to receive two treatment sequences: A, rTMS followed by sham stimulation, or B, sham followed by rTMS, separated by a one-month washout, with a follow-up period of 3 months. The primary endpoint was to analyze efficacy by assessing the change in the number of attacks per week (APW). Secondary endpoints included treatment tolerability and changes in intensity, duration, and use of rescue medication. The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06917144). : Eight patients were enrolled and randomized with a 50% probability of assignment to either treatment arm. Despite this, five patients were allocated to sequence A and three to sequence B. Three patients completed the entire study; five received treatment with rTMS and six with sham. The APW change during rTMS showed a change of (mean ± SD) +2.2 (10.8) attacks per week ( = 0.672). Two patients achieved complete remission during the rTMS phase, though symptoms returned by the washout period. In comparison with sham, the difference was also not statistically significant. No significant changes were observed in secondary endpoints. Side effects (two cases) were mild and transient. : This pilot study suggests that rTMS may provide clinical benefits for rCCH in selected cases, though its effects seem transient. Adherence to treatment remains a critical challenge.
丛集性头痛(CH)是一种使人衰弱的原发性头痛疾病,其特征为严重的单侧疼痛发作。慢性丛集性头痛(CCH)带来了重大的治疗挑战,尤其是在难治性病例中。神经调节,包括重复经颅磁刺激(rTMS),提供了一种潜在的替代方法;然而,缺乏其在CCH中疗效的证据。
进行了一项随机、双盲、安慰剂对照、交叉试点研究。纳入标准包括难治性CCH(rCCH)患者,然后将他们随机分为接受两个治疗序列:A,rTMS后接假刺激,或B,假刺激后接rTMS,中间有一个月的洗脱期,随访期为3个月。主要终点是通过评估每周发作次数(APW)的变化来分析疗效。次要终点包括治疗耐受性以及强度、持续时间和急救药物使用的变化。该试验已在ClinicalTrials.gov(NCT06917144)注册。
招募了8名患者并随机分组,分配到任一治疗组的概率为50%。尽管如此,5名患者被分配到序列A,3名患者被分配到序列B。3名患者完成了整个研究;5名接受了rTMS治疗,6名接受了假刺激治疗。rTMS期间APW的变化显示为每周(均值±标准差)增加2.2(10.8)次发作(P = 0.672)。两名患者在rTMS阶段实现了完全缓解,但在洗脱期症状复发。与假刺激相比,差异也无统计学意义。次要终点未观察到显著变化。副作用(2例)轻微且短暂。
这项试点研究表明,rTMS可能在某些选定的rCCH病例中提供临床益处,尽管其效果似乎是短暂的。坚持治疗仍然是一个关键挑战。