[Hypothalamic deep brain stimulation for treatment of cluster headache]

Neurol Neurochir Pol. 2011 Jan-Feb;45(1):57-62. doi: 10.1016/s0028-3843(14)60060-8.
[Article in Polish]

Abstract

Extremely severe, unilateral, recurrent facial pain and headache, accompanied by autonomic symptoms and signs, can be identified as cluster headache attacks (CH). Despite optimal pharmacological treatment, 20% of patients will not achieve satisfactory improvement. The severity of pain is so extreme that CH has been a cause of multiple suicidal attempts among patients ineffectively treated because of CH. Hypermetabolism of ipsilateral posterior hypothalamus observed in PET studies led to multiple attempts of deep brain stimulation (DBS) utilization in CH treatment. The authors present current opinions about DBS treatment in CH. A socioeconomic analysis of neuromodulatory treatment of CH is presented.

Publication types

  • English Abstract
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cluster Headache / diagnosis
  • Cluster Headache / therapy*
  • Deep Brain Stimulation / methods*
  • Electrodes, Implanted
  • Humans
  • Hypothalamus, Posterior / physiopathology*
  • Severity of Illness Index*
  • Treatment Outcome