Headache in Children: Selected Factors of Vascular Changes Involved in Underlying Processes of Idiopathic Headaches

Abstract

Headaches are common complaints in children. The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (beta version), defines more than 280 types of headaches. Primary headaches refer to independent conditions that cause pain and include migraine, tension-type headaches (TTH), and trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TACs). Several agents are involved in the pathogenesis of headaches. The factors associated with predisposition to atherosclerosis seem to be particularly important from the clinical point of view. The influence of obesity on the incidence of headaches has been well established. Moreover, idiopathic headaches, especially migraine, are thought to be one of the first signs of disorders in lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis. The risk of migraine increases with increasing obesity in children. Another factor that seems to be involved in both obesity and headaches is the adiponectin level. Recent data also suggest new potential risk factors for atherosclerosis and platelet aggregation such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), sCD40L (soluble CD40 ligand), serpin E1/PAI I (endothelial plasminogen activator inhibitor), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). However, their role is controversial because the results of clinical studies are often inconsistent. This review presents the current knowledge on the potential markers of atherosclerosis and platelet aggregation, which may be associated with primary headaches.

Assessment of peripheral biomarkers potentially involved in episodic and chronic migraine: a case-control study with a focus on NGF, BDNF, VEGF, and PGE2

“…BDNF is involved in pain signaling and regulation, in addition to the roles in neuronal development and differentiation [36,41,42]. With regards to pain, BDNF exerts a paradoxical, dose-dependent effect where low doses lead to hyperalgesia, while high doses result in analgesia [43]. Its expression is associated with CGRP in trigeminal ganglion neurons.…”

Effects of Continuous Infusion of Lidocaine under Ultrasound-Guided Cervical Sympathetic Ganglion Catheterization on Cerebral Hemodynamics and Thermal Imaging Characteristics of Head and Neck in Patients with Angioneurotic Headache

“…After stopping the drug, the headache symptoms will recur again, aggravating the pain of the patient's headache, inducing the negative emotions, and aggravating the psychological pressure of the patient. Repeated headache will form a vicious circle, a ecting the patient's work and life [3][4][5]. e cervical sympathetic ganglion (SG) is the cervical ganglion composed of the sixth and seventh cervical nerves fused with the rst thoracic ganglion to form the inferior cervical ganglion [6].…”