TY - JOUR
T1 - External trigeminal nerve stimulation
T2 - Potential rescue treatment for acute vestibular migraine
AU - Beh, Shin C.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2020/1/15
Y1 - 2020/1/15
N2 - Objective: Vestibular migraine (VM) is the most common neurologic cause of vertigo among adults. However, there are no specifically studied or approved rescue therapies for acute VM attacks. This study describes how external trigeminal nerve stimulation (eTNS) using the Cefaly® (CEFALY Technology, Seraing, Belgium) device relieves acute VM episodes. Methods: Single-center, retrospective review of 19 patients with acute VM attacks (seen between May 2018 and June 2019) treated with 20-min eTNS. Prior to treatment, patients graded the severity of their vertigo/headache using a 10-point visual analog scale (VAS) with 0 representing no vertigo/headache, and 10 representing the worst imaginable vertigo/headache. After eTNS, patients graded their vertigo/headache using the same VAS 15 min. In addition, bedside neuro-otologic examination was performed before and after treatment. Results: 19/19 patients reported improvement in vertigo severity. Mean vertigo severity was 6.6 (±2.1; median 7) before eTNS, and 2.7 (±2.6; median 3) following treatment; mean improvement in vertigo was 61.3% (±32.6; median 50.0%). During VM episodes, 14/19 experienced headache. Mean headache severity was 4.8 (±2.4; median 4.5) before eTNS, and was 1.4 (±2.4; median 0) following treatment; mean improvement in headache was 77.2% (±32.7; median 100.0%). Neuro-otologic examination was normal during VM attacks in all except Patient 7 who had spontaneous upbeat nystagmus which resolved after eTNS. Other improvements include improvement of eye pressure, head pressure, and chronic facial pain. No intolerable side effects were reported. Conclusion: This study provides preliminary evidence that eTNS is a novel, non-invasive, safe and effective treatment for acute VM attacks.
AB - Objective: Vestibular migraine (VM) is the most common neurologic cause of vertigo among adults. However, there are no specifically studied or approved rescue therapies for acute VM attacks. This study describes how external trigeminal nerve stimulation (eTNS) using the Cefaly® (CEFALY Technology, Seraing, Belgium) device relieves acute VM episodes. Methods: Single-center, retrospective review of 19 patients with acute VM attacks (seen between May 2018 and June 2019) treated with 20-min eTNS. Prior to treatment, patients graded the severity of their vertigo/headache using a 10-point visual analog scale (VAS) with 0 representing no vertigo/headache, and 10 representing the worst imaginable vertigo/headache. After eTNS, patients graded their vertigo/headache using the same VAS 15 min. In addition, bedside neuro-otologic examination was performed before and after treatment. Results: 19/19 patients reported improvement in vertigo severity. Mean vertigo severity was 6.6 (±2.1; median 7) before eTNS, and 2.7 (±2.6; median 3) following treatment; mean improvement in vertigo was 61.3% (±32.6; median 50.0%). During VM episodes, 14/19 experienced headache. Mean headache severity was 4.8 (±2.4; median 4.5) before eTNS, and was 1.4 (±2.4; median 0) following treatment; mean improvement in headache was 77.2% (±32.7; median 100.0%). Neuro-otologic examination was normal during VM attacks in all except Patient 7 who had spontaneous upbeat nystagmus which resolved after eTNS. Other improvements include improvement of eye pressure, head pressure, and chronic facial pain. No intolerable side effects were reported. Conclusion: This study provides preliminary evidence that eTNS is a novel, non-invasive, safe and effective treatment for acute VM attacks.
KW - External trigeminal nerve stimulation
KW - Migraine
KW - Neuromodulation
KW - Vertigo
KW - Vestibular migraine
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jns.2019.116550
DO - 10.1016/j.jns.2019.116550
M3 - Article
C2 - 31677559
AN - SCOPUS:85074062269
SN - 0022-510X
VL - 408
JO - Journal of the Neurological Sciences
JF - Journal of the Neurological Sciences
M1 - 116550
ER -