Shalonda Slater

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Plus Amitriptyline for Chronic Migraine in Children and Adolescents A Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE Early, safe, effective, and durable evidence-based interventions for children and adolescents with chronic migraine do not exist. OBJECTIVE To determine the benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) when combined with amitriptyline vs headache education plus amitriptyline. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A randomized clinical trial of 135 youth (79% female) aged 10 to 17 years diagnosed with chronic migraine (≥15 days with headache/month) and a Pediatric Migraine Disability Assessment Score (PedMIDAS) greater than 20 points were assigned to the CBT plus amitriptyline group (n = 64) or the headache education plus amitriptyline group (n = 71). The study was conducted in the Headache Center at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital between October 2006 and September 2012; 129 completed 20-week follow-up and 124 completed 12-month follow-up. INTERVENTIONS Ten CBT vs 10 headache education sessions involving equivalent time and therapist attention. Each group received 1 mg/kg/d of amitriptyline and a 20-week end point visit. In addition, follow-up visits were conducted at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary end point was days with headache and the secondary end point was PedMIDAS (disability score range: 0-240 points; 0-10 for little to none, 11-30 for mild, 31-50 for moderate, >50 for severe); both end points were determined at 20 weeks. Durability was examined over the 12-month follow-up period. Clinical significance was measured by a 50% or greater reduction in days with headache and a disability score in the mild to none range (<20 points). RESULTS At baseline, there were a mean (SD) of 21 (5) days with headache per 28 days and the mean (SD) PedMIDAS was 68 (32) points. At the 20-week end point, days with headache were reduced by 11.5 for the CBT plus amitriptyline group vs 6.8 for the headache education plus amitriptyline group (difference, 4.7 [95% CI, 1.7-7.7] days; P = .002). The PedMIDAS decreased by 52.7 points for the CBT group vs 38.6 points for the headache education group (difference, 14.1 [95% CI, 3.3-24.9] points; P = .01). In the CBT group, 66% had a 50% or greater reduction in headache days vs 36% in the headache education group (odds ratio, 3.5 [95% CI, 1.7-7.2]; P < .001). At 12-month follow-up, 86% of the CBT group had a 50% or greater reduction in headache days vs 69% of the headache education group; 88% of the CBT group had a PedMIDAS of less than 20 points vs 76% of the headache education group. Measured treatment credibility and integrity was high for both groups. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Among young persons with chronic migraine, the use of CBT plus amitriptyline resulted in greater reductions in days with headache and migraine-related disability compared with use of headache education plus amitriptyline. These findings support the efficacy of CBT in the treatment of chronic migraine in children and adolescents. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00389038.

Family factors, emotional functioning, and functional impairment in juvenile fibromyalgia syndrome.

OBJECTIVE Family factors and emotional functioning can play an important role in the ability of adolescents with juvenile primary fibromyalgia syndrome (JPFS) to cope with their condition and function in their everyday lives. The primary objectives of this study were to determine 1) whether adolescents with JPFS and their caregivers differed from healthy age-matched comparison peers and their caregivers in terms of emotional distress and functional impairment; 2) whether there were any differences in the family environment of adolescents with JPFS compared with healthy comparison peers; and 3) which individual-, caregiver-, and family-level variables were associated with functional impairment in adolescents with JPFS. METHODS Participants were 47 adolescents with JPFS recruited from a pediatric rheumatology clinic and 46 comparison peers without chronic illness matched for age, sex, and race. Participants and their caregivers (all mothers) completed a battery of standardized measures administered in their homes. RESULTS Adolescents with JPFS had greater internalizing and externalizing symptoms than healthy comparison peers. Mothers of adolescents with JPFS reported twice as many pain conditions and significantly greater depressive symptoms than mothers of comparison peers. The JPFS group also had poorer overall family functioning and more conflicted family relationships. In adolescents with JPFS, maternal pain history was associated with significantly higher functional impairment. CONCLUSION Increased distress and chronic pain are evident in families of adolescents with JPFS, and family relationships are also impacted. Implications for child functional impairment and the need for inclusion of caregivers in treatment are discussed.

A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover, add-on study of CoEnzyme Q10 in the prevention of pediatric and adolescent migraine.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation in the prevention of migraine in children using a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, crossover, add-on trial. Background: CoQ10 has been demonstrated to have efficacy in migraine prevention in adults but lacks pediatric research with more rigorous methodology. CoQ10 has been observed to be deficient in a significant number of children and adolescents presenting to tertiary headache centers. CoQ10 has the potential to modify both the inflammatory changes that occur during recurrent migraine and the alteration of mitochondrial function. A deficit of CoQ10 could thus affect the response to treatment and clinical characteristics of migraine in children and adults. Methods: One-hundred-and-twenty children and adolescents with migraine headache were randomized in a crossover, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, add-on study to receive a placebo or CoQ10 (100 mg) supplement for 224 days. Data for 76 patients were available at the crossover point and 50 were analysed at the endpoint. Response to treatment, overall headache improvement, and headache disability were assessed. Results: Both the placebo and CoQ10 groups showed reduced migraine frequency [F(1, 60) = 15.68, p < 0.001], severity [F(1, 54) = 8.09, p = 0.006], and duration [F(1, 45) = 6.27, p = 0.016] over time. CoQ10 treated patients had a significantly greater improvement in frequency from subject reported baseline starting within 4 weeks of initiation. No group differences comparing the first 4 weeks of treatment with the last 4 weeks of treatment were found in migraine frequency [F(1, 60) = 2.34, p > 0.05], severity [F(1, 54) = 0.06, p > 0.05], or duration [F(1, 45) = 0.14, p > 0.05]. Conclusions: Overall, results of the study demonstrate that children and adolescents with migraine improved over time with multidisciplinary, standardized treatment regardless of supplementation with CoQ10 or placebo. There was no difference in headache outcomes between the CoQ10 and placebo groups at day 224. Due to the improvements seen in weeks 1–4, CoQ10 may lead to earlier improvement in headache severity, but given the sample size this conclusion warrants further investigation with a larger sample.

Quality of life and emotional functioning in youth with chronic migraine and juvenile fibromyalgia.

Summary:Chronic pain in children is associated with significant negative impact on social, emotional, and school functioning. Previous studies on the impact of pain on children’s functioning have primarily used mixed samples of pain conditions or single pain conditions (eg, headache and abdominal pain) with relatively small sample sizes. As a result, the similarities and differences in the impact of pain in subgroups of children with chronic pain have not been closely examined. Objective:To compare pain characteristics, quality of life, and emotional functioning among youth with pediatric chronic migraine (CM) and juvenile fibromyalgia (JFM). Methods:We combined data obtained during screening of patients for 2 relatively large intervention studies of youth (age range, 10 to 18 y) with CM (N=153) and JFM (N=151). Measures of pain intensity, quality of life (Pediatric Quality of Life; PedsQL, child and parent-proxy), depressive symptoms (Children’s Depression Inventory), and anxiety symptoms (Adolescent Symptom Inventory-4—Anxiety subscale) were completed by youth and their parent. A multivariate analysis of covariance controlling for effects of age and sex was performed to examine differences in quality of life and emotional functioning between the CM and JFM groups. Results:Youth with JFM had significantly higher anxiety and depressive symptoms, and lower quality of life in all domains. Among children with CM, overall functioning was higher but school functioning was a specific area of concern. Discussion:Results indicate important differences in subgroups of pediatric pain patients and point to the need for more intensive multidisciplinary intervention for JFM patients.

Psychiatric comorbidity in pediatric chronic daily headache

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess comorbid psychiatric diagnoses in youth with chronic daily headache (CDH) and to examine relationships between psychiatric status and CDH symptom severity, as well as headache-related disability. Methods: Standardized psychiatric interviews (Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, KSADS) were conducted with 169 youth ages 10–17 diagnosed with CDH. Participants provided prospective reports of headache frequency with a daily headache diary and completed measures of symptom severity, headache-related disability (PedMIDAS) and quality of life (PedsQL). Results: Results showed that 29.6% of CDH patients met criteria for at least one current psychiatric diagnosis, and 34.9% met criteria for at least one lifetime psychiatric diagnosis. No significant relationship between psychiatric status and headache frequency, duration, or severity was found. However, children with at least one lifetime psychiatric diagnosis had greater functional disability and poorer quality of life than those without a psychiatric diagnosis. Discussion: Contrary to research in adults with chronic headaches, most youth with CDH did not appear to be at an elevated risk for comorbid psychiatric diagnosis. However, patients with a comorbid psychiatric diagnosis were found to have higher levels of headache-related disability and poorer quality of life. Implications for treatment are discussed.

Menstrual Migraine in Adolescents

Objective.— To characterize menstrually associated headaches and migraine in adolescent girls and identify any developmental and pubertal changes.

Effects of Gender and Age on Paediatric Headache

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of gender and age on headache characteristics and disability. Headache characteristics were assessed at an initial visit to a paediatric specialty care centre and five follow-up visits. A total number of 4121 patients were evaluated. Fifty-eight per cent of the sample was female. Boys were younger at their first headache and initial visit. They more frequently described headache pain as squeezing and location as top of the head. Girls reported more frequent and longer headaches. Girls more often described headache pain as sharp and location as back of the head. Age accounted for more variance than gender in headache severity, duration, frequency and disability. Gender differences exist in headache characteristics. Age is also an important factor in the variability in characteristics and disability. Longitudinal studies are needed to describe further the natural history of headaches in childhood and compare outcome between genders.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy plus Amitriptyline for Children and Adolescents with Chronic Migraine Reduces Headache Days to ≤4 Per Month

The objective of this secondary analysis of results from a previously published trial (Clinical Trials Registration Number: NCT00389038) in chronic migraine in children and adolescents was to examine if participants who received cognitive behavioral therapy and amitriptyline reached a greater level of reduction in headache frequency that no longer indicated a recommendation for preventive treatment as compared to those who received headache education and amitriptyline.

Childhood Abuse in Pediatric Patients With Chronic Daily Headache

Recent studies have raised significant concern about the high prevalence of childhood abuse in adults with chronic daily headache (CDH). In a survey of 1348 adult migraine patients,1 it was found that 21% of patients reported a history of childhood physical abuse and 25% reported a history of sexual abuse. Data from the ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) study and other studies have also found that childhood physical abuse and other forms of maltreatment were significantly associated with migraine headache.2–4 Although retrospective studies seem to provide strong evidence for an association between childhood abuse and CDH, one prospective longitudinal study did not find a difference between those with and without a documented history of childhood abuse in terms of their risk for chronic pain in adulthood.2 These inconsistent results may be a result of varying methodologies, the effects of recall bias or because the connection between childhood abuse and pain in adulthood may be more complex. More prospective research is needed to investigate the connection between childhood abuse and CDH. Children with CDH form a significant proportion of patients seen in pediatric neurology clinics, accounting for up to one third of newly referred patients.5 There is little research examining the prevalence of childhood physical and sexual abuse in pediatric headache patients, and the impact of an early abuse history in terms of clinical presentation of pediatric CDH patients (headache frequency, severity, disability, and quality of life) is not known. As part of the screening process for a large treatment study for pediatric CDH, our research team gathered comprehensive clinical data, including data on exposure to trauma among the patients. The objectives of this investigation were to 1) specifically examine the prevalence of physical and sexual abuse in these clinically referred children and adolescents with CDH and 2) to compare headache characteristics, headache-related disability, depressive symptoms, and quality of life between those who reported a history of abuse and those who did not. Based on the adult literature, we hypothesized that we would find a higher rate of childhood abuse in CDH than in the general population and a rate similar to what has been reported in the adult literature (ie, approximately 20%). Also, we hypothesized that CDH patients with a positive history of abuse would have higher levels of headache-related disability, more depressive symptoms, and lower quality of life than those without a history of abuse.

Adherence to Biobehavioral Recommendations in Pediatric Migraine as Measured by Electronic Monitoring: The Adherence in Migraine (AIM) Study

The purpose of this investigation was to examine treatment adherence to medication and lifestyle recommendations among pediatric migraine patients using electronic monitoring systems.