Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was approved by the FDA at the end of 2013 (see my earlier post) but it has not yet become available. This approval was for the treatment of acute migraine.
A new study just presented at the International Headache Congress suggests that TMS could be effective for the preventive treatment of migraines with medication overuse headache.
The study included only 28 patients and it was not a blinded study. However, these patients were severely affected and failed several other treatments. They were instructed to use the TMS device twice a day every day with an additional treatment at the time of a headache. Treatment lasted for at least 3 months, with an option to continue for another 3 months.
Of the 28 patients, 24 (86%) reported a reduction in their days of acute medication use per month, while 2 patients reported an increase in acute medication use. Nineteen patients (68%) experienced fewer migraine days per month, and 7 of the 19 had a 50% or greater reduction in migraine days. The number of patients with pain severity rated as excruciating or severe dropped from 19 at baseline to 3 at 3 months (84% reduction). Headache attack duration decreased in 15 patients, remained unchanged in 9, and increased in 4. The disability score (HIT-6) was severe at the beginning of the study in 26 of 28 participants. After 3 months, only 18 had severe disability.
The benefit was seen in patients who had migraines with and without aura.
After 3 months, five patients stopped using TMS because it was ineffective or inconvenient. Four were lost to follow-up. Of the remaining 19, 16 reported reduced days of acute medication use at 6 months, compared with baseline. Disability scores in the 19 patients who used TMS for 6 months were comparable to their scores at 3 months, suggesting that there was no additional benefit from longer-term use, but the benefit was maintained.
No side effects were reported, confirming the safety of TMS. Now we just have to wait for the company (eNeura) to release this product on the market.
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