Effectiveness of medication in cluster headache

Abstract Background The aim of this work is to analyze the reports on cluster headache attacks collected online in the citizen science project CLUE with respect to the effectiveness of drugs taken during the attacks. The collection of data within the framework of citizen science projects opens up th...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Johannes Drescher, Andreas Khouri, Tina Katharina Amann, Charly Gaul, Peter Kropp, Yannic Siebenhaar, Jörg Scheidt
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2021-04-01
Series:BMC Neurology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-021-02195-8
id doaj-d5a313354f7346f1bddc60e740cdbcc8
record_format Article
spelling doaj-d5a313354f7346f1bddc60e740cdbcc82021-04-25T11:25:56ZengBMCBMC Neurology1471-23772021-04-012111810.1186/s12883-021-02195-8Effectiveness of medication in cluster headacheJohannes Drescher0Andreas Khouri1Tina Katharina Amann2Charly Gaul3Peter Kropp4Yannic Siebenhaar5Jörg Scheidt6Institute of Information Systems, University of Applied Sciences HofInstitute of Information Systems, University of Applied Sciences HofInstitute of Information Systems, University of Applied Sciences HofMigraine and Headache Clinic KönigsteinInstitute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of RostockInstitute of Information Systems, University of Applied Sciences HofInstitute of Information Systems, University of Applied Sciences HofAbstract Background The aim of this work is to analyze the reports on cluster headache attacks collected online in the citizen science project CLUE with respect to the effectiveness of drugs taken during the attacks. The collection of data within the framework of citizen science projects opens up the possibility of investigating the effectiveness of acute medication on the basis of a large number of individual attacks instead of a simple survey of patients. Methods Data from 8369 cluster headache attacks, containing information about acute medication taken and the assessment of its effect, were collected from 133 participants using an online platform and a smartphone app. Chi-square tests were used to investigate whether the effect of the three recommended acute drugs differs when distinguishing between participants with chronic or episodic cluster headache. Furthermore, it was investigated whether there are differences between smokers and non-smokers in the assessment of the effect of the acute medication. Results Our participants rated the effectiveness of sumatriptan 6 mg s.c. as significantly better than oxygen and zolmitriptan nasal spray. Oxygen is considered to be significantly better in episodic versus chronic cluster headache, and sumatriptan is considered to be significantly better in chronic versus episodic cluster headache. Smokers rate the effect of oxygen as significantly better than non-smokers. Conclusions Despite some methodological limitations, web-based data collection is able to support findings from clinical trials in a real world setting about effectiveness of acute cluster headache treatment in several situations.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-021-02195-8Cluster headacheAcute medicationEffectivenessCitizen science
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Johannes Drescher
Andreas Khouri
Tina Katharina Amann
Charly Gaul
Peter Kropp
Yannic Siebenhaar
Jörg Scheidt
spellingShingle Johannes Drescher
Andreas Khouri
Tina Katharina Amann
Charly Gaul
Peter Kropp
Yannic Siebenhaar
Jörg Scheidt
Effectiveness of medication in cluster headache
BMC Neurology
Cluster headache
Acute medication
Effectiveness
Citizen science
author_facet Johannes Drescher
Andreas Khouri
Tina Katharina Amann
Charly Gaul
Peter Kropp
Yannic Siebenhaar
Jörg Scheidt
author_sort Johannes Drescher
title Effectiveness of medication in cluster headache
title_short Effectiveness of medication in cluster headache
title_full Effectiveness of medication in cluster headache
title_fullStr Effectiveness of medication in cluster headache
title_full_unstemmed Effectiveness of medication in cluster headache
title_sort effectiveness of medication in cluster headache
publisher BMC
series BMC Neurology
issn 1471-2377
publishDate 2021-04-01
description Abstract Background The aim of this work is to analyze the reports on cluster headache attacks collected online in the citizen science project CLUE with respect to the effectiveness of drugs taken during the attacks. The collection of data within the framework of citizen science projects opens up the possibility of investigating the effectiveness of acute medication on the basis of a large number of individual attacks instead of a simple survey of patients. Methods Data from 8369 cluster headache attacks, containing information about acute medication taken and the assessment of its effect, were collected from 133 participants using an online platform and a smartphone app. Chi-square tests were used to investigate whether the effect of the three recommended acute drugs differs when distinguishing between participants with chronic or episodic cluster headache. Furthermore, it was investigated whether there are differences between smokers and non-smokers in the assessment of the effect of the acute medication. Results Our participants rated the effectiveness of sumatriptan 6 mg s.c. as significantly better than oxygen and zolmitriptan nasal spray. Oxygen is considered to be significantly better in episodic versus chronic cluster headache, and sumatriptan is considered to be significantly better in chronic versus episodic cluster headache. Smokers rate the effect of oxygen as significantly better than non-smokers. Conclusions Despite some methodological limitations, web-based data collection is able to support findings from clinical trials in a real world setting about effectiveness of acute cluster headache treatment in several situations.
topic Cluster headache
Acute medication
Effectiveness
Citizen science
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-021-02195-8
work_keys_str_mv AT johannesdrescher effectivenessofmedicationinclusterheadache
AT andreaskhouri effectivenessofmedicationinclusterheadache
AT tinakatharinaamann effectivenessofmedicationinclusterheadache
AT charlygaul effectivenessofmedicationinclusterheadache
AT peterkropp effectivenessofmedicationinclusterheadache
AT yannicsiebenhaar effectivenessofmedicationinclusterheadache
AT jorgscheidt effectivenessofmedicationinclusterheadache
_version_ 1721509777102602240