Treatment of posttraumatic headache migraine phenotype with erenumab – An observational study

Abstract

Objective To report the observed effect of erenumab in mild posttraumatic headache migraine phenotype with and without aura. Background There is no clinical algorithm of pharmacotherapy for migraine following posttraumatic headache. Most migraine preventatives that are typically used are either ineffective or not tolerated. Methods Seven patients who met the clinical criteria for migraine with or without aura following posttraumatic headache who failed or were intolerant of conventional migraine preventatives were treated with erenumab 140 mg subcutaneously. Most had no history of migraine. In those patients with a history of migraine, the posttraumatic headache migraine headaches were different than the past migraine experience. Descriptive headache intensity or disability using the Head Impact Test-6 and monthly headache days were recorded before and after treatment. All patients were debilitated on presentation and demonstrated no signs of spontaneous resolution. Results Patients responded with a 95% (SD 1.22, p < .001) reduction in headache days. All Head Impact Test-6 scores went from disabling to non-disabling without adverse effects. Most required only one dose of erenumab with no migraine recurrence. Onset of efficacy often became apparent within days to four weeks. Extended follow-up six months after treatment revealed no relapses. Conclusions Erenumab is effective in the treatment of posttraumatic headache with migraine phenotype in this small cohort. Large-scale studies are urgently required for this highly prevalent, disabling, condition which has no effective established treatment.