Characterizing healthcare utilization patterns in a Danish population with headache: results from the nationwide headache in Denmark (HINDER) panel

INTRODUCTION: Worldwide, far from all of those who would benefit make use of headache services, largely because of clinical, social, and political barriers to access. Identifying the factors contributing to low healthcare utilization can generate evidence to guide health policy. Our purpose here is better to characterize healthcare utilization patterns in Denmark. METHODS: The Headache in Denmark (HINDER) study is a nationwide cross-sectional survey of people with headache, conducted using SurveyXact (Rambøll Group A/S, Copenhagen). Healthcare utilization was assessed in a study sample generated by population screening and recruitment. Data collection occurred over two weeks, from September 23rd until October 4th, 2021. The questions enquired into disease characteristics, management, burden, medication intake and healthcare utilization. RESULTS: The number of participants included in the HINDER panel was 4,431, with 2,990 (67.5%: 2,522 [84.3%] female, 468 [15.7%] male; mean age 40.9 ± 11.6 years) completing the survey. One quarter of participants (27.7%) disagreed or strongly disagreed that they were able to manage their headache attacks. Most participants (81.7%) agreed or strongly agreed that their headache was a burden in their everyday lives. The most reported acute medications, by 87.2% of participants, were simple analgesics; of note, 8.6% reported using opioids for their headache. One quarter of participants (24.4%) had never consulted a medical doctor for their headache; one in six (16.5%: more than two thirds of the 24.4%) had never done so despite agreeing or strongly agreeing that their headache was a burden in their everyday lives. Two thirds (65.3%) of participants overall, and almost three quarters (72.4%) of those with weekly headache, had tried one or more complementary or alternative therapies outside conventional medical care. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings are indicative of inadequate delivery of headache care in a country that provides free and universal coverage for all its residents. The implications are twofold. First, it is not sufficient merely to make services available: public education and increased awareness are necessary to encourage uptake by those who would benefit. Second, educational interventions in both pre- and postgraduate settings are necessary, but a prerequisite for these is a resetting of policy priorities, properly to reflect the very high population ill-health burden of headache

Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide in Tension-Type Headache

In the last 10 years there has been increasing interest in the role of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in primary headaches. Tension-type headache is one of the most common and important types of primary headaches, and ongoing nociception from myofascial tissues may play an important role in the pathophysiology of this disorder. CGRP sensory fibers are preferentially located in the walls of arteries, and nerve fibers containing CGRP accompany small blood vessels in human cranial muscles. It is well established that nociception may lead to release of CGRP from sensory nerve endings and from central terminals of sensory afferents into the spinal cord. It has also been shown that density of CGRP fibers around arteries is increased in persistently inflamed muscle. These findings indicate that ongoing activity in sensory neurons in the cranial muscles may be reflected in changes of plasma levels of neuropeptides in patients with chronic tension-type headache. To explore the possible role of CGRP in tensiontype headache, plasma levels of CGRP were measured in patients with chronic tension-type headache. This study showed that plasma levels of CGRP are normal in patients and unrelated to headache state. However, the findings of normal plasma levels of CGRP do not exclude the possibility that abnormalities of this neuropeptide at the neuronal or peripheral (pericranial muscles) levels play a role in the pathophysiology of tension-type headache. Investigation of CGRP in other compartments with new sensitive methods of analysis is necessary to clarify its role in tension-type headache. KEY WORDS: tension-type headache, calcitonin gene-related peptide DOMAINS: neurology Ashina: Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide in Tension Headache TheScientificWorldJOURNAL (2002) 2, 1527-1531 1528 INTRODUCTION Chronic tension-type headache is one of the most common and important types of primary headaches In the last 10 years there has been increasing interest on the role of neuropeptides in primary headaches. Particularly, a role for calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of neurovascular primary headaches such as migraine CGRP AND NOCICEPTION CGRP, a 37-amino acid peptide, is one of the most abundant neuropeptides in the peripheral and central nervous system CGRP IN CHRONIC TENSION-TYPE HEADACHE The role of neuropeptides in chronic tension-type headache has previously been investigated in one study The question is how to explain increased plasma CGRP in chronic tension-type headache patients with pulsating headache quality. Since CGRP levels are increased in migraineurs CONCLUDING REMARKS Studies on the role of CGRP in chronic tension-type headache indicate that plasma levels of CGRP are normal in patients and largely unrelated to headache state ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Premonitory symptoms in migraine: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies reporting prevalence or relative frequency

Background Observational studies on the prevalence of premonitory symptoms in people with migraine, preceding the headache pain (or aura) phase, have shown conflicting results. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence, and relative frequency among clinic populations, of premonitory symptoms in people with migraine, overall and of the multifarious individual symptoms, and to review the methodologies used to assess them. Methods We searched PubMed and Embase for studies published from database inception until 31st of May 2022. Two investigators independently screened titles, abstracts, and full texts. We retrieved observational studies that reported the prevalence/relative frequency of one or more premonitory symptoms in people with migraine. Two investigators independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias. Results were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. Our main outcomes were the percentage of people with migraine who experienced at least one premonitory symptom and the percentages who experienced different individual premonitory symptoms. To describe our outcomes, we used the terms prevalence for data from population-based samples and relative frequency for data from clinic-based samples. We also descriptively and critically assessed the methodologies used to assess these symptoms. Results The pooled estimated prevalence in population-based studies of at least one premonitory symptom was 29% (95% CI: 8–63; I2 99%) and the corresponding pooled estimated relative frequency in clinic-based studies was 66% (95% CI: 45–82; I2 99%). The data from clinic-based studies only supported meta-analysis of 11 of 96 individual symptoms, with relative frequency estimates ranging from 11 to 49%. Risk of bias was determined as high in 20 studies, moderate in seven, and low in two. Conclusions The substantial between-study heterogeneity demands cautious interpretation of our estimates. Studies showed wide methodological variations, and many lacked rigor. Overall, the evidence was insufficient to support reliable prevalence estimation or characterization of premonitory symptoms. More data are needed, of better quality, to confirm the existence of a distinctive premonitory phase of migraine, and its features. Methodological guidelines based on expert consensus are a prerequisite

Guidelines of the International Headache Society for controlled trials of pharmacological preventive treatment for persistent post-traumatic headache attributed to mild traumatic brain injury

Background: Persistent headache attributed to traumatic injury to the head is divided into two subtypes, one attributed to moderate or severe traumatic injury and another attributed to mild traumatic injury (i.e., concussion). The latter is much more prevalent, in part because more than 90% of cases with traumatic brain injury are classified as mild. The pathophysiology of persistent post-traumatic headache is poorly understood and the underlying mechanisms are likely multifactorial. There is currently no approved treatment specifically for persistent post-traumatic headache, and management strategies rely on medications used for migraine or tension-type headache. Therefore, high-quality trials are urgently needed to support clinical decision-making and optimize management strategies. International guidelines can facilitate appropriate trial design and ensure the acquisition of high-quality data evaluating the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of available and novel pharmacological therapies for the preventive treatment of persistent post-traumatic headache. Methods: The development of this guideline was based on a literature review of available studies in MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, along with a review of previously published guidelines for controlled trials of preventive treatment for episodic and chronic migraine. The identified literature was critically appraised, and due to the scarcity of scientific evidence, recommendations were primarily based on the consensus of experts in the field. Objective: To provide guidelines for designing state-of-the-art controlled clinical trials aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of preventive treatments for persistent post-traumatic headache attributed to mild traumatic brain injury

High brain serotonin levels in migraine between attacks:A 5-HT₄ receptor binding PET study

Migraine has been hypothesized to be a syndrome of chronic low serotonin (5-HT) levels, but investigations of brain 5-HT levels have given equivocal results. Here, we used positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of the 5-HT4 receptor as a proxy for brain 5-HT levels. Given that the 5-HT4 receptor is inversely related to brain 5-HT levels, we hypothesized that between attacks migraine patients would have higher 5-HT4 receptor binding compared to controls. Eighteen migraine patients without aura (migraine free >48 h), and 16 age- and sex-matched controls underwent PET scans after injection of [11C]SB207145, a specific 5-HT4 receptor radioligand. An investigator blinded to group calculated a neocortical mean [11C]SB207145 binding potential (BPND). Three migraine patients reported a migraine attack within 48 h after the scan and were excluded from the primary analysis. Comparing 15 migraine patients and 16 controls, we found that migraine patients have significantly lower neocortical 5-HT4 receptor binding than controls (0.60 ± 0.09 vs. 0.67 ± 0.05, p = .024), corrected for 5-HTTLPR genotype, sex and age. We found no association between 5-HT4 receptor binding and attack frequency, years with migraine or time since last migraine attack. Our finding of lower 5-HT4 receptor binding in migraine patients is suggestive of higher brain 5-HT levels. This is in contrast with the current belief that migraine is associated with low brain 5-HT levels. High brain 5-HT levels may represent a trait of the migraine brain or it could be a consequence of migraine attacks. Keywords: Headache, Pain, Neuroimaging, Brain, Serotonergic mechanism

A Multi-model Analysis of Post-2020 Mitigation Efforts of Five Major Economies

This paper looks into the regional mitigation strategies of five major economies (China, EU, India, Japan and USA) in the context of the 2 degrees C target, using a multi-model comparison. In order to stay in line with the 2 degrees C target, a tripling or quadrupling of mitigation ambitions is required in all regions by 2050, employing vigorous decarbonization of the energy supply system and achieving negative emissions during the second half of the century. In all regions looked at, decarbonization of energy supply (and in particular power generation) is more important than reducing energy demand. Some differences in abatement strategies across the regions are projected: In India and the USA the emphasis is on prolonging fossil fuel use by coupling conventional technologies with carbon storage, whereas the other main strategy depicts a shift to carbon-neutral technologies with mostly renewables (China, EU) or nuclear power (Japan). Regions with access to large amounts of biomass, such as the USA, China and the EU, can make a trade-off between energy related emissions and land related emissions, as the use of bioenergy can lead to a net increase in land use emissions. After supply-side changes, the most important abatement strategy focuses on enduse efficiency improvements, leading to considerable emission reductions in both the industry and transport sectors across all regions. Abatement strategies for non-CO2 emissions and land use emissions are found to have a smaller potential. Inherent model, as well as collective, biases have been observed affecting the regional response strategy or the available reduction potential in specific (end-use) sectors

CO2 emission mitigation and fossil fuel markets: Dynamic and international aspects of climate policies

This paper explores a multi-model scenario ensemble to assess the impacts of idealized and non-idealized climate change stabilization policies on fossil fuel markets. Under idealized conditions climate policies significantly reduce coal use in the short- and long-term. Reductions in oil and gas use are much smaller, particularly until 2030, but revenues decrease much more because oil and gas prices are higher than coal prices. A first deviation from optimal transition pathways is delayed action that relaxes global emission targets until 2030 in accordance with the Copenhagen pledges. Fossil fuel markets revert back to the no-policy case: though coal use increases strongest, revenue gains are higher for oil and gas. To balance the carbon budget over the 21st century, the long-term reallocation of fossil fuels is significantly larger -- twice and more -- than the short-term distortion. This amplifying effect results from coal lock-in and inter-fuel substitution effects to balance the full-century carbon budget. The second deviation from the optimal transition pathway relaxes the global participation assumption. The result here is less clear-cut across models, as we find carbon leakage effects ranging from positive to negative because trade and substitution patterns of coal, oil, and gas differ across models. In summary, distortions of fossil fuel markets resulting from relaxed short-term global emission targets are more important and less uncertain than the issue of carbon leakage from early mover action

The impact of fremanezumab on medication overuse in patients with chronic migraine: subgroup analysis of the HALO CM study.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the efficacy of fremanezumab, a fully humanized monoclonal antibody that selectively targets calcitonin gene-related peptide, in patients with chronic migraine (CM) with and without medication overuse (MO). METHODS: In a 12-week, phase 3 trial, patients with CM were randomized to fremanezumab quarterly (675 mg/placebo/placebo), monthly (675 mg/225 mg/225 mg), or placebo. Post hoc analyses assessed the impact of fremanezumab in patients with and without MO (monthly use of acute headache medication ≥15 days, migraine-specific acute medication ≥10 days, or combination medication ≥10 days) on efficacy outcomes, including headache days of at least moderate severity (HDs), and six-item Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) and Migraine-Specific Quality of Life (MSQoL) questionnaire scores. RESULTS: Of 1130 patients enrolled, 587 (51.9%) had baseline MO. Fremanezumab reduced placebo-adjusted least-squares mean (95% confidence interval) monthly HDs (- 2.2 [- 3.1 to - 1.2] and - 2.7 [- 3.7 to - 1.8]; P \u3c 0.0001) in patients with MO and without MO (quarterly - 1.4 [- 2.3 to - 0.5], P = 0.0026; monthly - 1.4 [- 2.3 to - 0.6], P = 0.0017). Significantly more fremanezumab-treated patients had ≥ 50% reduction in HDs versus placebo, regardless of baseline MO (with: quarterly 70/201 [34.8%], monthly 78/198 [39.4%] vs placebo 26/188 [13.8%]; without: quarterly 71/174 [40.8%], monthly 75/177 [42.4%] vs placebo 41/183 [22.4%]). Fremanezumab improved HIT-6 and MSQoL scores. Significantly more fremanezumab-treated patients reverted to no MO (quarterly 111/201 [55.2%], monthly 120/198 [60.6%]) versus placebo (87/188 [46.3%]). CONCLUSIONS: Fremanezumab is effective for prevention of migraine in patients with CM, regardless of MO, and demonstrated a benefit over placebo in reducing MO. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02621931 (HALO CM), registered December 12, 2012

Stabilization of enzymes by dormancy autoinducers as a possible mechanism of resistance of resting microbial forms

Alkyl-substituted hydroxybenzenes (AHBs), autoinducers of microbial dormancy (or d1 factors), were found to stabilize the structure of protein macromolecules, making them metabolically less active and more resistant to stresses. In vitro experiments with the Bacillus intermedius ribonuclease and chymotrypsin showed that the degree of the physical and chemical stability of these enzymes treated with AHBs depends on their concentration and incubation time. Experiments with RNase, which is capable of refolding, i.e., renaturation after heat denaturation, revealed that AHBs efficiently interact with both intact and denatured proteins. The data obtained allow the inference to be made that d1 factors may play the role of natural chemical chaperons, blocking metabolism in dormant cells through the formation of catalytically inactive thermostable complexes with enzymes. © 2000 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica"