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Migraine is a chronic neurological disorder that is associated with considerable disadaptive effect on patients. Despite the development of pharmacotherapy strategies for migraine, only one third of patients are satisfied with their overall treatment. Many migraine patients turn to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), which is not usually considered a part of conventional medicine and is not always evidence-based. In practise, however, they are often used to improve the effectiveness of standard therapy or to provide alternative treatment. In addition, in CAM methods, the patient is actively involved in the choice of treatment strategies, and they have good adherence. The basic principles and approaches of CAM are increasingly being introduced into clinical practise. This review discusses the principles of CAM in the treatment of migraine as a holistic approach using lifestyle strategies and selected non-pharmacological treatments that have been shown to be effective and rational.

Depression is one of the most common medical causes of disability and mortality in patients of all ages. Depressive disorders are common in the practice of physicians of a variety of specialties, including psychiatrists, neurologists, and physicians. This paper provides a summary review of the literature on modern ideas about the epidemiology, classification, and clinical picture of depression. Current approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of depressive disorders in neurological and psychiatric practice are discussed. Modern pharmacotherapeutic strategies for the treatment of depression in various patient populations are described in detail. Current clinical practice indicates the high importance of an interdisciplinary approach in the diagnosis and management of patients with depressive symptoms in Russia. The paper suggests organizational and educational strategies that can be recommended to improve the effectiveness of medical care for patients with depressive disorders.

On December 24, 2022, in Moscow an interdisciplinary Council of Headache Experts, held under the auspice of the interregional public organization “Russian Society for the Study of Headache”, discussed the key problems of effective treatment of a migraine attack and the possibilities of a specific drug Kaporiza® (rizatriptan). Despite the development of strategies for the relief of migraine attacks and the effectiveness of triptans as first-line therapy, the choice of a specific drug in accordance with the individual clinical profile of the patient is difficult due to the existence of drugs in various forms (standard tablets, oral dispersible forms, injections, nasal sprays, rectal suppositories). Rizatriptan in the form of an orally dispersible tablet (ODT) has a number of advantages: high bioavailability, fast onset of action, and ease of use. Therefore, Kaporiza® (rizatriptan ODT) may be recommended as a priority therapy for all migraine patients who prefer the dispersible tablet form and who experience symptoms of nausea and vomiting, as well as for patients who have experience of poor efficacy and/or poor tolerability of other triptans. The Expert Council recommends to include rizatriptan ODT in the next edition of the clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of migraine as a first-line agent with Level A evidence.

This consensus reviewed the main current issues of clinical application and integration into everyday practice of a new targeted preventive therapy for migraine using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to the calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) ligand or receptor. These recommendations are based on current scientific and clinical studies and an analysis of the results of several years of clinical use. The main purpose of the consensus is to assist practitioners in prescribing effective prophylactic treatment of migraine using anti-CGRP mAbs and to improve care for patients with various forms of the disease.

The Russian experts’ guidelines on evaluation and treatment of medication-overuse headache are based on evidence-based medicine, the latest revision of the International Classification of Headache Disorders. Basic information about epidemiology, risk factors, pathophysiological mechanisms, evaluation, and the most effective pharmacological drug and non-pharmacological approaches to managing patients with medication-overuse headache are presented.

Migraine is the second leading cause of maladjustment, and the burden of migraine is determined by its impact on work ability, social activity and family relationships.Objective: to identify the patterns of behavior of Russian patients with migraine, factors affecting their quality of life, and the level of awareness of the disease based on a semantic analysis of messages in Web 2.0.Patients and methods. The study is based on the results of semantic processing (automated analysis of natural language texts, taking into account their meaning) of anonymized messages from 6566 unique authors (patients and their relatives) from social networks and forums (over 73 thousand messages over 10 years, 2010–2020). In addition, the study was carried out exclusively according to the data indicated in the messages. In this regard, complete data for several parameters was not available for analysis. No personal data about the authors of the messages was collected or used. The sex was determined based on the text of the analyzed message. For the study, only open data from the Internet from social networks and forums was used.Results and discussion. A landscape of problems of persons complaining of migraine issues was formed. Factors affecting the quality of life were grouped into four main groups (“Lifestyle restrictions by triggers of migraine attacks”, “Loss of opportunity to work”, “Serious psychological problems”, “Family planning issues”); additional, rarer, but acute problems were also identified. The analyzed messages show that the average number of days with migraines is 9.4 per month; 21.8% of patients report daily migraines. Moreover, most patients have been suffering from attacks for 10 years or more, and 9% of patients – for 30 years or more. The analysis of diagnostic patterns showed that in most cases, patients independently resorted to additional examination methods, while only 13.1% of patients had experience of adequate preventive therapy.Conclusion. The study demonstrated the presence of a wide range of unmet needs, quality of life problems both in patients themselves and their caregivers, as well as a significant social and economic burden of this disease (including a long-term burden on the economy, which can be used as arguments for reimbursing the cost of migraine therapy) based on the text messages on migraine in open sources on the Internet.

Migraine is one of the most common types of headache, which can lead to a significant decrease in quality of life. Researchers identify migraine with aura, migraine without aura, and chronic migraine that substantially reduces the ability of patients to work and is frequently concurrent with mental disorders and drug-induced headache. The complications of migraine include status migrainosus, persistent aura without infarction, migrainous infarction (stroke), and a migraine aura-induced seizure. The diagnosis of migraine is based on complaints, past medical history, objective examination data, and the diagnostic criteria as laid down in the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3 rd edition. Add-on trials are recommended only in the presence of red flags, such as the symptoms warning about the secondary nature of headache. Migraine treatment is aimed at reducing the frequency and intensity of attacks and the amount of analgesics taken. It includes three main approaches: behavioral therapy, seizure relief therapy, and preventive therapy. Behavioral therapy focuses on lifestyle modification. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, simple and combined analgesics, triptans, and antiemetic drugs for severe nausea or vomiting are recommended for seizure relief. Preventive therapy which includes antidepressants, anticonvulsants, beta-blockers, angiotensin II receptor antagonists, botulinum toxin type A-hemagglutinin complex and monoclonal antibodies to calcitonin gene-related peptide or its receptors, is indicated for frequent or severe migraine attacks and for chronic migraine. Pharmacotherapy is recommended to be combined with non-drug methods that involves cognitive behavioral therapy; progressive muscle relaxation; mindfulness; biofeedback; post-isometric relaxation; acupuncture; therapeutic exercises; greater occipital nerve block; non-invasive high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation; external stimulation of first trigeminal branch; and electrical stimulation of the occipital nerves (neurostimulation).

When examining a patient with lumbosacral pain, it is necessary to rule out the specific cause of the disease. The diagnosis of discogenic lumbosacral radiculopathy (DLSR) is based on clinical examination; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is of informative value in excluding other causes of radiculopathy and in evaluating disk herniation. If the signs of cauda equina and spinal cord compression are absent, and no epidural glucocorticoid injection or urgent surgical treatment is scheduled, there is no reason for early (within the first 4 weeks) MRI.It is recommended to inform the patient with DLSR about the possibility of disk herniation regression and natural recovery and about the advisability of maintaining physical activity. Epidural administration of local anesthetics and glucocorticoids and use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are advisable to relieve acute pain. Anticonvulsants (pregabalin and gabapentin), muscle relaxants, and B vitamins can be used as additional methods for acute DLSR; psychological therapies (cognitive behavioral therapy), antidepressants, therapeutic exercises (kinesiotherapy), manual therapy, and acupuncture are effective in chronic DLSR. Consultation with a neurosurgeon for possible microdiscectomy is indicated in the presence of cauda equina syndrome (urgently) and in the absence of medical therapy effects within 4–8 weeks.Therapeutic exercises (kinesitherapy) with an educational program for prevention of strenuous physical activity and static and uncomfortable positions for a long time, as well as for teaching how to lift weights properly, etc. are recommended for preventive purposes.