Objectives: Aim of the review is to summarize the knowledge about the sensory function and pain modulatory systems in posttraumatic headache and discuss its possible role in patients with posttraumatic headache.
Background: Posttraumatic headache is the most common complication after traumatic brain injury, and significantly impacts patients' quality of life. Even though it has a high prevalence, its origin and pathophysiology are poorly understood. Thereby, the existing treatment options are insufficient. Identifying its mechanisms can be an important step forward to develop target-based personalized treatment.
Methods: We searched the PubMed database for studies examining pain modulation and/or quantitative sensory testing in individuals with headache after brain injury.
Results: The studies showed heterogenous alterations in sensory profiles (especially in heat and pressure pain perception) compared to healthy controls and headache-free traumatic brain injury-patients. Furthermore, pain inhibition capacity was found to be diminished in subjects with posttraumatic headache.
Conclusions: Due to the small number of heterogenous studies a distinct sensory pattern for patients with posttraumatic headache could not be identified. Further research is needed to clarify the underlying mechanisms and biomarkers for prediction of development and persistence of posttraumatic headache.
Keywords: Posttraumatic headache; conditioned pain modulation; endogenous pain modulation; quantitative sensory testing; somatosensory function; traumatic brain injury.