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Prophylactic Drug Treatment of Migraine in Children and Adolescents: An Update

  • Childhood and Adolescent Headache (S Evers, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Migraine as a highly disabling pain condition influences the daily activities of those affected, including children and adolescents. The pathomechanism of migraine is not fully understood, and the different types of prophylactic antimigraine drugs that are applied are not specific for migraine. There is a need for preventive treatment in the event of frequent migraine attacks, an impairment of the quality of life, severe accompanying or aura symptoms, and the failure of acute drug treatment. The following pharmacological classes are recommended: antidepressants, antiepileptics, antihistamines, beta-adrenergic receptor blockers, and calcium ion channel antagonists, besides onabotulinum toxin A and nutraceuticals (butterbur). The most urgent goal as concerns pharmaceutical innovation is the development of pathomechanism-based antimigraine drugs and personalized therapy tailored to the children and adolescents.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by project TÁMOP-4.2.6.3.1, by the Hungarian Brain Research Program (NAP, Grant No. KTIA_13_NAP-A-III/9. and KTIA_13_NAP-A-II/17.) and by EUROHEADPAIN (FP7-Health 2013-Innovation; Grant No. 602633) and by the MTA-SZTE Neuroscience Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the University of Szeged.

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  1. Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Semmelweis u. 6, H-6725, Szeged, Hungary

    János Tajti, Délia Szok, Anett Csáti & László Vécsei

  2. Neuroscience Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and University of Szeged (MTA–SZTE Neuroscience Research Group), Semmelweis u. 6, H-6725, Szeged, Hungary

    László Vécsei

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  1. János Tajti
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János Tajti, Délia Szok, Anett Csáti, and László Vécsei declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Childhood and Adolescent Headache

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Tajti, J., Szok, D., Csáti, A. et al. Prophylactic Drug Treatment of Migraine in Children and Adolescents: An Update. Curr Pain Headache Rep 20, 1 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-015-0536-6

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