Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

HEADACHE

Evidence mounts for anti-CGRP treatment in cluster headache

Nature Reviews Neurology volume 14, pages 636–637 (2018)Cite this article

Subjects

During cluster headache attacks, plasma levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) increase, and trigeminal nerve activation leads to pain. A new study shows that CGRP infusion can induce cluster headache attacks in some patients, with important implications for the investigation of CGRP-targeted therapies in cluster headache.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Hoffmann, J. & May, A. Diagnosis, pathophysiology, and management of cluster headache. Lancet Neurol. 17, 75–83 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Vollesen, A. L. et al. Effect of infusion of calcitonin gene-related peptide on cluster headache attacks: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Neurol. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2018.1675 (2018).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society (IHS). The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition. Cephalalgia 38, 1–211 (2018).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Martelletti, P. & Curto, M. Headache: cluster headache treatment — RCTs versus real-world evidence. Nat. Rev. Neurol. 10, 557–558 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Goadsby, P. J. & Edvinsson, L. Human in vivo evidence for trigeminovascular activation in cluster headache. Neuropeptide changes and effects of acute attacks therapies. Brain 117, 427–434 (1994).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. May, A. et al. PET and MRA findings in cluster headache and MRA in experimental pain. Neurology 55, 1328–1335 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Goadsby, P. J., Edvinsson, L. & Ekman, R. Vasoactive peptide release in the extracerebral circulation of humans during migraine headache. Ann. Neurol. 28, 183–187 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Lassen, L. H. et al. CGRP may play a causative role in migraine. Cephalalgia 22, 54–61 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Ong, J. J., Wei, D. Y. & Goadsby, P. J. Recent advances in pharmacotherapy for migraine prevention: from pathophysiology to new drugs. Drugs 78, 411–437 (2018).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, The Foundation of the Carlo Besta Neurological Institute, IRCCS, Milan, Italy

    Massimo Leone

Authors
  1. Massimo Leone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Massimo Leone.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The author has received fees from Eli Lilly and TEVA for serving on their advisory boards.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Leone, M. Evidence mounts for anti-CGRP treatment in cluster headache. Nat Rev Neurol 14, 636–637 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-018-0063-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-018-0063-2

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing