The impact of interferon beta and natalizumab on comorbid migraine in multiple sclerosis
Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 04/10/2012
Clinical Article
Villani V et al. – These findings suggest that natalizumab (NTZ) did not exacerbate comorbid migraine in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and support the hypothesis that interferon beta (IFNB) might represent an important trigger for migraine worsening.
Methods- Authors performed a longitudinal evaluation on MS patients with comorbid migraine previously assessed at the center and retested for the present study, by comparing data from 33 patients originally treated with IFNB and thereafter switched to NTZ vs 30 patients continued currently to receive IFNB.
- Longitudinal analysis showed a significant reduction of migraine frequency (from a mean value of 8.4 to 5.1 days per month; P = .034) and Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS) score (from a mean value of 14.2 to 10.5; P = .045) in the subgroup patients switched from IFNB to NTZ but not in those remaining in the IFNB recipient, irrespective of level of fatigue, trait anxiety, depression, alexithymia, or other clinical variables.
