Source: Thailand Medical News Dec 11, 2019 4 years, 11 months, 1 week, 3 days, 10 hours, 8 minutes ago
A new research by pediatrics and migraine specialists from the University of Medical Sciences, Tehran show that
Cinnarizine and
Sodium Valproate are effective as the preventive agents of
pediatric migraine in young children and teenagers.
The study article entitled "
Cinnarizine and
sodium valproate as the preventive agents of
pediatric migraine: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial", by Dr Man Amanat, and Dr Mahmoud Reza Ashrafi was published in Cephalalgia, the official journal of the International Headache Society.
Typically,
migraine affects about 8% of children and adolescents. About half of them continue to experience it into adulthood, leading to remarkable disability and a substantial social and financial burden to the patient and society. Early diagnosis and interventions can diminish the burden of the condition. Preventive pharmacologic treatment should be recommended when the frequency of headaches is more than 4 attacks per month or when the quality of life, school attendance or daily activities are restricted. Studies show that
migraine preventive treatment can decrease the global burden of
migraine. Although various preventive medications have been used for
migraine in adults, few have been suggested in a
pediatric population.
The new research studied the safety and efficacy of
cinnarizine and
sodium valproate for
migraine prophylaxis in 149 children and adolescents (49 in the
cinnarizine, 51 in the
sodium valproate, and 49 in the placebo group).
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The drug
Cinnarizine is a medicine that belongs to the category of antihistaminic medications. It is used to treat problems associated with the inner ear and the brain, dizziness, and sickness associated with motion sickness.
Cinnarizine is used to relieve symptoms of motion sickness and balance (vestibular) disorders such as tinnitus (ringing in the ears), vertigo, nausea, and vomiting, as well as Ménières disease (a disorder of the inner ear).
Sodium valproate is a medication primarily used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder and to prevent
migraine headaches. It is an anticonvulsant drug that is approved for use in epilepsy and bipolar disorder. It has also been used for neuropathic pain and
migraine prophylaxis.
The drugs were considered effective in reducing (more than 50%) the (frequency) number of
migraine attacks and intensity, compared to the placebo group.
Dr Mahmoud Reza Ashrafi told
Thailand Medical
News via a phone interview, "
Cinnarizine and
sodium valproate may be useful for
migraine preventive treatment for children and adolescents. Both medications are safe and well-tolerated in terms of adverse events, but cinnarizine could be considered as a new preventive option for
pediatric migraine.”
Long term safety regarding weight gain and other possible effects are being studied by the authors in further trials.
Reference : Man Amanat et al, Cinnarizine and sodium valproate as the preventive agents of pediatric migraine: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial, Cephalalgia (2019). DOI: 10.1177/0333102419888485
