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Background: Neurofilament light chain (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) have emerged as biomarkers for cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). We investigated their role in a hereditary SVD model, retinal vasculopathy with cerebral leukoencephalopathy and systemic manifestations (RVCL-S)., Methods: NfL and GFAP levels of 17 pre-symptomatic, 22 symptomatic RVCL-S mutation carriers and 69 controls were measured using a Simoa assay. We assessed the association of serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of NfL and GFAP with RVCL-S symptomatology and neuropsychological functioning., Results: Serum and CSF NfL levels were higher in symptomatic RVCL-S compared to controls ≥ 45 years (33.5 pg/mL vs. 9.2 pg/mL, p < 0.01; 8.5*10 2  pg/mL vs. 3.9*10 2  pg/mL, p < 0.01, respectively). Serum NfL levels were higher in symptomatic RVCL-S than pre-symptomatic carriers (33.5 pg/mL vs. 5.9 pg/mL, p = 0.02). Pre-symptomatic RVCL-S carriers had increased CSF NfL levels compared to controls < 45 years (5.2*10 2  pg/mL vs. 1.9*10 2  pg/mL, p < 0.01). No differences were found in GFAP levels across groups, but in RVCL-S carriers higher serum levels of both NfL and GFAP were linked to poorer global cognitive functioning (β[95%CI] = - 2.86 [- 5.58 to - 0.13], p = 0.04 and β[95%CI] =  - 6.85 [- 11.54 to - 2.15], p = 0.01, respectively) and prolonged psychomotor test times (β[95%CI] = 6.71 [0.78-12.65], p = 0.03 and β[95%CI] = 13.84 [3.09-24.60], p = 0.01)., Discussion: Higher levels of serum NfL and GFAP are associated with worse cognitive functioning in RVCL-S carriers and may serve as marker for disease progression. CSF NfL levels may serve as early marker as pre-symptomatic RVCL-S patients already show differences compared to young controls., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: This study aimed to compare cerebrovascular reactivity between patients with migraine and controls using state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques., Background: Migraine is associated with an increased risk of cerebrovascular disease, but the underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. Impaired cerebrovascular reactivity has been proposed as a link. Previous studies have evaluated cerebrovascular reactivity with different methodologies and results are conflicting., Methods: In this single-center, observational, case-control study, we included 31 interictal patients with migraine without aura (aged 19-66 years, 17 females) and 31 controls (aged 22-64 years, 18 females) with no history of vascular disease. Global and regional cerebrovascular reactivities were assessed with a dual-echo arterial spin labeling (ASL) 3.0 T MRI scan of the brain which measured the change in cerebral blood flow (CBF) and BOLD (blood oxygen level dependent) signal to inhalation of 5% carbon dioxide., Results: When comparing patients with migraine to controls, cerebrovascular reactivity values were similar between the groups, including mean gray matter CBF-based cerebrovascular reactivity (3.2 ± 0.9 vs 3.4 ± 1% ΔCBF/mmHg CO 2 ; p = 0.527), mean gray matter BOLD-based cerebrovascular reactivity (0.18 ± 0.04 vs 0.18 ± 0.04% ΔBOLD/mmHg CO 2 ; p = 0.587), and mean white matter BOLD-based cerebrovascular reactivity (0.08 ± 0.03 vs 0.08 ± 0.02% ΔBOLD/mmHg CO 2 ; p = 0.621).There was no association of cerebrovascular reactivity with monthly migraine days or migraine disease duration (all analyses p > 0.05)., Conclusion: Cerebrovascular reactivity to carbon dioxide seems to be preserved in patients with migraine without aura., (© 2024 The Authors. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Headache Society.)

Background and aim: The revised Boston criteria v2.0 for cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) add two radiological markers to the existing criteria: severe visible perivascular spaces in the centrum semiovale and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) in a multispot pattern. This study aims to determine the sensitivity of the updated criteria in mutation carriers with Dutch-type hereditary CAA (D-CAA) in an early and later disease stage. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included presymptomatic and symptomatic D-CAA mutation carriers from our prospective natural history study (AURORA) at the Leiden University Medical Center between 2018 and 2021. 3-Tesla scans were assessed for CAA-related magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers. We compared the sensitivity of the Boston criteria v2.0 to the previously used modified Boston criteria v1.5. Results: We included 64 D-CAA mutation carriers (mean age 49 years, 55% women, 55% presymptomatic). At least one white matter (WM) feature was seen in 55/64 mutation carriers (86%: 74% presymptomatic, 100% symptomatic). Fifteen (23%) mutation carriers, all presymptomatic, showed only WM features and no hemorrhagic markers. The sensitivity for probable CAA was similar between the new and the previous criteria: 11/35 (31%) in presymptomatic mutation carriers and 29/29 (100%) in symptomatic mutation carriers. The sensitivity for possible CAA in presymptomatic mutation carriers increased from 0/35 (0%) to 15/35 (43%) with the new criteria. Conclusion: The Boston criteria v2.0 increase the sensitivity for detecting possible CAA in presymptomatic D-CAA mutation carriers and, therefore, improve the detection of the early phase of CAA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate self-reported substance user profiles for individuals with migraine and compare these to the general population., Background: There is increasing attention to lifestyle influences such as substance use as presumed migraine triggers., Methods: Data on substance use were collected by survey in a large migraine cohort and from the biannual survey in the general Dutch population for substances. A representative cohort of Dutch patients with migraine (n = 5176) and the Dutch general population (n = 8370) was included. Patients with migraine were subdivided into episodic (EM) and chronic migraine (CM). Substance consumption was compared between the general population and patients with migraine, and between migraine subgroups after standardization for sex and level of education., Results: Included patients with migraine were 83.4% female (4319/5176) and had a mean (standard deviation) age of 44.8 (11.3) years. Patients with migraine reported less illicit drug use (odds ratio [OR] 0.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.42-0.55; p < 0.001), less current and lifetime smoking (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.55-0.65; p < 0.001 and OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.71-0.79; p < 0.001), and less current alcohol consumption (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.62-0.70; p < 0.001) compared with the general population. Prevalence of substance use was compared between CM and EM participants and showed higher illicit drug use (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.11-2.69; p = 0.011), higher current smoking (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.22-2.11; p < 0.001) but less alcohol use (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.43-0.68; p < 0.001) for participants with CM compared with EM. No differences were found for a history of smoking (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.92-1.50, p = 0.19)., Conclusions: Individuals with migraine are less likely to use illicit drugs, smoke, or drink alcohol compared with the general population. Patients with CM less often consume alcohol, while they more often use illicit drugs and smoke compared to those with EM., (© 2024 The Authors. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Headache Society.)

Peak width of skeletonized mean diffusivity (PSMD) is an emerging diffusion-MRI based marker to study subtle early alterations to white matter microstructure. We assessed PSMD over the clinical continuum in Dutch-type hereditary CAA (D-CAA) and its association with other CAA-related MRI-markers and cognitive symptoms. We included (pre)symptomatic D-CAA mutation-carriers and calculated PSMD from diffusion-MRI data. Associations between PSMD-levels, cognitive performance and CAA-related MRI-markers were assessed with linear regression models. We included 59 participants (25/34 presymptomatic/symptomatic; mean age 39/58 y). PSMD-levels increased with disease severity and were higher in symptomatic D-CAA mutation-carriers (median [range] 4.90 [2.77-9.50]mm 2 /s × 10 -4 ) compared with presymptomatic mutation-carriers (2.62 [1.96-3.43]mm 2 /s × 10 -4 ) p = <0.001. PSMD was positively correlated with age, CAA-SVD burden on MRI (adj.B [confidence interval] = 0.42 [0.16-0.67], p = 0.002), with number of cerebral microbleeds (adj.B = 0.30 [0.08-0.53], p = 0.009), and with both deep (adj.B = 0.46 [0.22-0.69], p = <0.001) and periventricular (adj.B = 0.38 [0.13-0.62], p = 0.004) white matter hyperintensities. Increasing PSMD was associated with decreasing Trail Making Test (TMT)-A performance (B = -0.42 [-0.69-0.14], p = 0.04. In D-CAA mutation-carriers microstructural white matter damage is associated with disease phase, CAA burden on MRI and cognitive impairment as reflected by a decrease in information processing speed. PSMD, as a global measure of alterations to the white matter microstructure, may be a useful tool to monitor disease progression in CAA., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: N. Vlegels reports support by the Netherlands CardioVascular Research Initiative–the Dutch Heart Foundation (CVON 2018–28 & 2012–06). M.R. Schipper reports independent support from the TRACK D-CAA consortium, consisting of Alnylam, Biogen, the Dutch CAA foundation, Vereniging HCHWA-D, and researchers from Leiden, Boston, and Perth. A. De Luca reports independent support from Alzheimer Nederland (WE-03-2022-11) as well as from ZonMW. R. van Dort is funded by the TRACK D-CAA consortium, consisting of Biogen, Alnylam, the Dutch CAA foundation, Vereniging HCHWA-D, and researchers from Leiden, Boston, and Perth. G.M. Terwindt reports independent support from the Dutch Research Council (NWO), European Community, the Dutch Heart Foundation, the Dutch Brain Foundation, and the Dutch CAA foundation.M.J.P. van Osch reports support by a NWO-VICI grant (016.160.351) and a NWO-Human Measurement Models 2.0 grant (18969) as well as support from the Dutch Research Council (NWO), European Community, the Dutch Heart Foundation, and the Dutch Brain Foundation.M.J.H. Wermer reports independent support from de Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek ZonMw (VIDI grant 91717337), the Netherlands Heart Foundation, and the Dutch CAA foundation. The others report no conflicts.

Introduction: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a main cause of cognitive dysfunction in the elderly. We investigated specific cognitive profiles, cognitive function in the stage before intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and the association between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) burden in CAA because data on these topics are limited., Methods: We included Dutch-type hereditary CAA (D-CAA) mutation carriers with and without ICH, patients with sporadic CAA (sCAA), and age-matched controls. Cognition was measured with a standardized test battery. Linear regression was performed to assess the association between MRI-cSVD burden and cognition., Results: D-CAA ICH- mutation carriers exhibited poorer global cognition and executive function compared to age-matched controls. Patients with sCAA performed worse across all cognitive domains compared to D-CAA ICH+ mutation carriers and age-matched controls. MRI-cSVD burden is associated with decreased processing speed., Discussion: CAA is associated with dysfunction in multiple cognitive domains, even before ICH, with increased MRI-cSVD burden being associated with slower processing speed., Highlights: Cognitive dysfunction is present in early disease stages of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) before the occurrence of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH). Presymptomatic Dutch-type CAA (D-CAA) mutation carriers show worse cognition than age-matched controls. More early awareness of cognitive dysfunction in CAA before first sICH is needed. Increased cerebral small vessel disease CAA-burden on magnetic resonance imaging is linked to a decrease in processing speed., (© 2024 The Author(s). Alzheimer's & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.)

Background and Purpose: Data on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and mood in cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), a disease characterized by stroke and cognitive decline, are limited. We aimed to investigate the impacted domains of life, value-based HRQoL and the prevalence of depression and anxiety in patients with CAA., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of patients with sporadic (s)CAA, lobar dominant mixed CAA and hypertensive arteriopathy (mixed CAA-HTA), or Dutch-type hereditary (D-)CAA, from prospective outpatient clinic cohorts. Participants completed four questionnaires: the EuroQoL 5 dimensions 5-level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L; EQ-VAS for visual analogue scale; EQ-Index for index rating), the Short-Form 36 questionnaire (SF-36), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS; -D for depression and -A for anxiety subscales). The EQ-5D-5L assesses the domains mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression. The SF-36 domains are physical functioning, social functioning, physical role limitations, emotional role limitations, mental health, vitality, bodily pain, and general health perceptions. We compared age- and sex- adjusted HRQoL (SF-36 domain scores; EQ-VAS; EQ-Index) to the Dutch normative population, and estimated the prevalences of current depression (either: history of depression or current use of antidepressants, with high score on CES-D [≥16] and/or HADS-D [≥8]; or high score on both depression questionnaires) and anxiety (HADS-A ≥ 8)., Results: We included 179 patients: 77 with sCAA (mean age: 72 years, women: 36%), 31 with mixed CAA-HTA (68 years, women: 29%), and 71 with D-CAA (56 years, women: 52%, symptomatic: 35 [49%]). The SF-36 profiles of all patient groups were similar, negatively differing from the norm in emotional role functioning, social functioning and vitality. The EQ-VAS score of patients (mean [SD] sCAA: 76 [16], D-CAA: 77 [15]) was similar to the norm, as was the EQ-Index score. Fifteen patients with sCAA (23%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 13%-33%), seven with mixed CAA-HTA (27%; 95% CI 10%-44%) and eight with D-CAA (14%; 95% CI 5%-22%) were noted as having depression. The prevalences of anxiety and depression were equivalent., Conclusions: We found that CAA influenced emotional role functioning and aspects linked to social engagement consistently across its subtypes. One quarter of patients exhibited depressive or anxiety symptoms. Recognizing these impacted domains could enhance overall well-being., (© 2024 The Author(s). European Journal of Neurology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Academy of Neurology.)

Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article:Francesca Puledda declares speaker and consultancy fees from Abbvie and Teva. Simona Sacco declares grants/contracts, consulting fees or honoraria from Novartis, Uriach, Allergan-AbbVie, Teva, Lilly, Lundbeck, Pfizer, NovoNordisk, Abbott, AstraZeneca, Pfizer. Hans-Christoph Diener received honoraria for participation in clinical trials, contribution to advisory boards or oral presentations from: AbbVie, Lilly, Lundbeck, Novartis, Pfizer, Teva and WebMD. The German Research Council (DFG) supports headache research by HCD. HCD serves on the editorial boards of Cephalalgia, Lancet Neurology and Drugs. Messoud Ashina is a consultant, speaker, or scientific advisor for AbbVie, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Lundbeck, Novartis, Pfizer, and Teva; a primary investigator for ongoing AbbVie and Pfizer trials; and is the past president of the International Headache Society. MA is supported through the Lundbeck Foundation Professor Grant (R310-2018-3711) and received institutional research grant from Lundbeck and Novartis. MA serves as associate editor of Journal of Headache Pain, and associate editor of Brain. Sait Ashina has received honoraria for consulting from Allergan/AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Impel NeuroPharma, Linpharma, Lundbeck, Pfizer, Satsuma, Teva, Theranica. SA is an associate editor for Neurology Reviews, BMC Neurology, and Frontiers in Neurology, and serves on the editorial board for Journal of Headache Pain. SA serves as a Trustee on the Board of the International Headache Society and is a member of the Education Committee of the International Headache Society. Eric Liebler declares consulting fees from ElecroCore, Inc. Andrea Cipriani is supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Cognitive Health Clinical Research Facility, by an NIHR Research Professorship (grant RP-2017-08-ST2-006), by the NIHR Oxford and Thames Valley Applied Research Collaboration and by the NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre (grant NIHR203316). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the UK National Health Service, the NIHR, or the UK Department of Health. Min Kyung Chu was a site investigator for a multicenter trial sponsored by Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Allergan Korea, and Ildong Pharmaceutical Company. He received lecture honoraria from Eli Lilly and Company, Handok-Teva, and Ildong Pharmaceutical Company over the past 24 months. He received grants from Yonsei University College of Medicine (6-2021-0229), the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) (Grant No.: HV22C0106), and a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant. Alexandra Cocores declares grants/contracts from AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Rehaler. Esme Ekizoğlu declares honoraria from Allergan-AbbVie. David Garcia-Azorin declares grants/contracts from Carlos II Research and Castilla and Leon Regional Health, consulting fees from Eli-Lilly, WHO, Lundbeck or honoraria from AbbVie, Teva, Novartis, Pfizer. Carl Göbel declares honoraria from Fielmann AG and German Society for the Study of Pain. Maria Teresa Goicochea, personal fees as speaker or advisory board and/or non-financial support from Pfizer, AbbVie and Teva. Amr Hassan declares consulting fees or honoraria from Novartis, Sanofi Genzyme, Biologix, Merck, Hikma Pharma, Janssen, Inspire Pharma, Future Pharma, Elixir pharma, Allergan, Merck, Biologix, Roche, Bayer, Chemipharm, Al Andalus, and Clavita Pharm. Koichi Hirata declares consulting fees from Otsuka Pharma, and honoraria from Amgen Astellas BioPharma KK, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, Eli Lilly Japan KK, MSD, Otsuka Pharma, Pfizer Japan, and Sawai Pharma. Jan Hoffmann declares grants/contracts from Bristol Myers Squibb, International Headache Society (IHS), National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Medical Research Council (MRC) and Migraine Trust, consulting fees or honoraria from AbbVie, Cannovex, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Teva, Allergan, Chordate Medical AB, Lundbeck, Sanofi, MD Horizonte, Pfizer, Sage, NEJM Journal Watch Neurology, Oxford University Press, Quintessence Publishing, Springer Healthcare. He holds stock options from Chordate Medical AB. Bronwyn Jenkins declares honoraria from Allergan/AbbVie, Eli-Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Teva, Viatris. Katharina Kamm declares grants/contracts from the German Headache and Migraine Society, Novartis, consulting fees from Hormosan, and honoraria from Lundbeck, TEVA, derCampus, Novartis. Mi Ji Lee declares consulting fees or honoraria from Eli-Lilly, Lundbeck, Pfizer, NuEyne Co, Teva AbbVie, SK Chemical, CKD Pharma, and YuYu. Marco Lisicki declares honoraria from Teva, AbbVie, Novartis, Pfizer and Allergan. Daniele Martinelli declares honoraria from AbbVie and Lundbeck. Teshamae S. Monteith has the following disclosures over the past three years: clinical trial site principal investigator for studies sponsored by Abbvie, Eli Lilly, Ipsen and Rehaler, participation in advisory board/consultancy for AbbVie, Teva, Linpharma, e-Neura, Novartis, Merz, and Pfizer, Educational grant from Amgen and AbbVie, personal fees from Medscape, Massachusetts Medical Society, American Headache Society, American Academy of Neurology, Neurodiem, Academic CME, AbbVie, Novartis, unpaid co-author for research funded by AbbVie, Pfizer/Biohaven, and Theranica. She is an associate editor for Cephalalgia and Continuum Audio, and is on the editorial board for Neurology, American Migraine Foundation, and Brain and Life Magazine. Dr Monteith has provided unpaid service on the board of directors for the International Headache Society (2021-2023) and currently on the executive board for the Florida Society of Neurology. Raffaele Ornello declares grants/contracts from Novartis, consulting fees/honoraria from Eli Lilly, AbbVie, Pfizer, and Teva. Aynur Özge declares consulting fees or honoraria from AbbVie Lilly, Teva, Abdi Ibrahim, İlko and Drogsan. Mario Peres accepted honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers’ bureaus, manuscript writing and educational events from Pfizer, Teva, AbbVie-Allergan, Lundbeck. Accepted travel support from Teva. Participated in advisory boards, AbbVie-Allergan, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Kenvue, Eurofarma, Sanofi-Aventis. MP is president of ABRACES. Patricia Pozo-Rosich declares grants/contracts from ERANet Neuron, Instituto Salud Carlos III, Novartis, Teva and AbbVie and consulting fees or honoraria from AbbVie, Almirall, Eli Lilly, Lundbeck Medscape, Novartis, Pfizer, Teva. Todd J. Schwedt declares grants/contracts with American Heart Association, Amgen, Henry Jackson Foundation, National Headache Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, Pfizer, Spark Neuro, United States Department f Defense, American Migraine Foundation and Mayo Clinic. Consulting fees from AbbVie, Allergan, Amgen, Axsome, Biodelivery Science, Biohaven, Click Therapeutics, Collegium, Eli Lilly, Equinox, Ipsen, Unpharma, Lundbeck, Novartis, Satsuma, Scilex, Theranica, and Tonix. He declares royalties from UpToDate and stock options from Aural. Marcio Nattan P. Souza declares consulting fees or honoraria from Teva, Libbs, Pfizer, Sandoz, Lundbeck, Allergan/AbbVie, Lilly. Tsubasa Takizawa declares grants/research funds from Eli Lilly, Pfizer and Tsumura and advisory/consulting fees and/or honoraria from Eli Lilly, Daiichi Sankyo, Otsuka, Amgen, Teijin, Pfizer, Kyowa Kirin, Elsai, Kowa, UCB Japan, Takeda, and Santen Pharma. Gisela M. Terwindt declares grants/contracts from European Community, Dutch Heart Foundation, IRRF, Dioraphte and Dutch Brain Council with consulting fees or honoraria from Novartis, Lilly, Teva, AbbVie/Allergan, Lundbeck, Pfizer, Spring Media, Ashfield MedComms, Remedica Cygnea. Nicolas Vandenbussche declares consulting fees or honoraria Pfizer, AbbVie, Novartis, Teva, Babinski VZW, ACREHAB UGent. Shuu-Jiun Wang declares honoraria from AbbVie, Pfizer and Biogen. Cristina Tassorelli declares grants/contracts from AbbVie with consulting fees or honoraria from AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Dompé, Ipsen, Lundbeck, Pfizer, Medscape, Teva. All remaining authors report no disclosures or conflicts of interest

Rory C Monahan,1 Hannelore JL Beaart,1 Rolf Fronczek,2,3 Gisela M Terwindt,2 Liesbeth JJ Beaart-van de Voorde,1 Jeroen de Bresser,4 Margreet Kloppenburg,1,5 Nic JA van der Wee,6 Tom WJ Huizinga,1 Gerda M Steup-Beekman1,7 1Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands; 2Department of Neurology, LUMC, Leiden, the Netherlands; 3Sleep-Wake Center SEIN, Heemstede, the Netherlands; 4Department of Radiology, LUMC, Leiden, the Netherlands; 5Department of Clinical Epidemiology, LUMC, Leiden, the Netherlands; 6Department of Psychiatry, LUMC, Leiden, the Netherlands; 7Department of Rheumatology, Haaglanden Medical Center, The Hague, the NetherlandsCorrespondence: Rory C MonahanDepartment of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden 2333 ZA, the NetherlandsTel +3171-5265762Fax +3171-5266752Email r.c.monahan@lumc.nlPurpose: To evaluate the use of immunosuppressive treatment, clinical outcome and diagnostic strategy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) presenting with clinical features of transverse myelitis (TM), but normal MRI of the spinal cord (sMRI) and normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) assessment, and to suggest a clinical guideline.Patients and Methods: All patients with SLE and clinical features compatible with (sub)acute TM visiting the NPSLE clinic of the LUMC between 2007 and 2020 were included. Information on baseline characteristics, investigations, treatment and outcomes was collected from electronic medical records. In addition, a systematic review of individual participant data was performed up to April 2020 in PubMed, Embase and Web of Science, identifying all patients with TM, SLE and sMRI assessment. Data regarding sMRI, CSF analysis, treatment and outcome were extracted, and outcome was compared between patients with normal sMRI and CSF (sMRI-/CSF-) and patients with abnormalities.Results: Twelve SLE patients with a clinical diagnosis of TM were identified: four sMRI-/CSF- and one sMRI- with CSF not available. All patients received immunosuppressive treatment, but outcome in sMRI-/CSF- patients was worse: no recovery (n=1) or partial recovery (n=3) compared to partial recovery (n=4) and (nearly) complete recovery (n=3) in MRI+ patients. The systematic literature review yielded 146 articles eligible for inclusion, 90% case reports. A total of 427 SLE patients with TM were identified, of which only four cases were sMRI-/CSF- (1%), showing no improvement (n=1), partial improvement (n=2) and complete recovery (n=1) after immunosuppressive treatment.Conclusion: Outcome in SLE patients presenting with clinically suspected TM with normal sMRI and CSF is less favorable, despite treatment with immunosuppressive therapy. Taking a functional neurological disorder into consideration may be helpful in order to start other therapeutic strategies. We suggest prescribing immunosuppressive treatment for a restricted period of time to evaluate its effect in cases where a functional disorder initially is considered unlikely.Keywords: lupus, neuropsychiatric, transverse myelitis, MRI, CSF

Introduction: MRI rating criteria for small vessel disease markers include definitions for microbleeds and macrobleeds but do not account for small (&lt;10 mm) hemorrhages with a cystic cavity and/or irregular shape. Such hemorrhages, however, are often present in patients with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). In this study, we aimed to investigate the frequency, diameter, and volume distribution of these hemorrhages (which we called mesobleeds) in patients with CAA., Methods: We selected participants with Dutch-type hereditary CAA (D-CAA) and sporadic CAA (sCAA) and scored microbleeds, mesobleeds, and macrobleeds on 3T susceptibility-weighted images MRI. Hemorrhage diameter and volume were calculated in a subset of participants using a semi-automatic tool; their distribution was evaluated on a logarithmic scale., Results: We included 25 participants with D-CAA (mean age 56 years) and 25 with sCAA (mean age 73 years). In total, 11,007 microbleeds, 602 mesobleeds, and 195 macrobleeds were observed. Eighty-two percent of participants had ≥1 mesobleed. Hemorrhage diameter and volume were calculated in four participants with 272 microbleeds (median diameter 1.52 mm, volume 0.004 mL), 84 mesobleeds (median diameter 5.61 mm, volume 0.06 mL), and 37 macrobleeds (median diameter 19.58 mm, volume 1.33 mL). Mesobleed diameter and volume were larger than microbleeds (optimal cut-off 0.02 mL) but showed overlap with macrobleeds., Conclusion: Hemorrhages &lt;10 mm with an irregular shape and/or cystic cavity are frequently found in participants with CAA and have a distinct diameter and volume distribution. We propose to name these hemorrhage mesobleeds and to rate them separately from micro- and macrobleeds. Future research is necessary to investigate their pathophysiology and prognostic value., (© 2024 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objective: We investigated whether quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) correlates with cognition and cortical superficial siderosis (cSS) in cerebral amyloid angiopathy., Methods: We included patients with sporadic (sCAA) and hereditary Dutch-type CAA (D-CAA). Spectral measures and the phase lag index (PLI) were analyzed on qEEG. Cognition was assessed with the MoCA and cSS presence was scored on 3T-MRI. Linear regression analyses were performed to investigate these qEEG measures and cognition. Independent samples T-tests were used to analyze the qEEG measure differences between participants with and without cSS., Results: We included 92 participants (44 D-CAA; 48 sCAA). A lower average peak frequency (β[95 %CI] = 0.986[0.252-1.721]; P = 0.009) and a higher spectral ratio (β[95 %CI] = -0.918[-1.761--0.075]; P = 0.033) on qEEG correlated with a lower MoCA score, irrespective of a history of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH). The PLI showed no correlation to the MoCA. qEEG slowing was not different in those with or without cSS., Conclusions: Spectral qEEG (but not PLI) reflects cognitive performance in patients with CAA with and without a history of sICH. We found no association between qEEG slowing and cSS., Significance: qEEG could be a valuable biomarker, especially in challenging cognitive testing situations in CAA, and a potential predictive tool in future studies., (Copyright © 2024 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: In an effort to improve migraine management around the world, the International Headache Society (IHS) has here developed a list of practical recommendations for the acute pharmacological treatment of migraine. The recommendations are categorized into optimal and essential, in order to provide treatment options for all possible settings, including those with limited access to migraine medications., Methods: An IHS steering committee developed a list of clinical questions based on practical issues in the management of migraine. A selected group of international senior and junior headache experts developed the recommendations, following expert consensus and the review of available national and international headache guidelines and guidance documents. Following the initial search, a bibliography of twenty-one national and international guidelines was created and reviewed by the working group., Results: A total of seventeen questions addressing different aspects of acute migraine treatment have been outlined. For each of them we provide an optimal recommendation, to be used whenever possible, and an essential recommendation to be used when the optimal level cannot be attained., Conclusion: Adoption of these international recommendations will improve the quality of acute migraine treatment around the world, even where pharmacological options remain limited., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article:Francesca Puledda declares speaker and consultancy fees from TEVA.Simona Sacco declares grants/contracts, consulting fees or honoraria from Novartis, Uriach, Allergan-AbbVie, Teva, Lilly, Lundbeck, Pfizer, NovoNordisk, Abbott, AstraZeneca, Pfizer.Hans-Christoph Diener received honoraria for participation in clinical trials, contribution to advisory boards or oral presentations from: AbbVie, Lilly, Lundbeck, Novartis, Pfizer, Teva and WebMD. The German Research Council (DFG) supports headache research by HCD. HCD serves on the editorial boards of Cephalalgia, Lancet Neurology and Drugs.Messoud Ashina is a consultant, speaker, or scientific advisor for AbbVie, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Lundbeck, Novartis, Pfizer, and Teva; a primary investigator for ongoing AbbVie and Pfizer trials; and is the past president of the International Headache Society. MA is supported through the Lundbeck Foundation Professor Grant (R310-2018-3711) and received institutional research grant from Lundbeck and Novartis. MA serves as associate editor of the Journal of Headache and Pain, and associate editor of Brain.Sait Ashina has received honoraria for consulting from Allergan/AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Impel NeuroPharma, Linpharma, Lundbeck, Pfizer, Satsuma, Teva, Theranica. SA is an Associate Editor for Neurology Reviews, BMC Neurology, and Frontiers in Neurology, and serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Headache and Pain. SA serves as a Trustee on the Board of the International Headache Society and is a member of the Education Committee of the International Headache Society.Eric Liebler declares consulting fees from ElecroCore, Inc.Andrea Cipriani is supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Cognitive Health Clinical Research Facility, by an NIHR Research Professorship (grant RP-2017-08-ST2-006), by the NIHR Oxford and Thames Valley Applied Research Collaboration and by the NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre (grant NIHR203316). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the UK National Health Service, the NIHR, or the UK Department of Health.Min Kyung Chu was a site investigator for a multicenter trial sponsored by Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Allergan Korea, and Ildong Pharmaceutical Company. He received lecture honoraria from Eli Lilly and Company, Handok-Teva, and Ildong Pharmaceutical Company over the past 24 months. He received grants from Yonsei University College of Medicine (6-2021-0229), the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) (Grant No.: HV22C0106), and a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant.Alexandra Cocores declares grants/contracts from AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Rehaler.Esme Ekizoğlu declares honoraria from Allergan‐AbbVie.David Garcia-Azorin declares grants/contracts from Carlos II Research and Castilla and Leon Regional Health, consulting fees from Eli-Lilly, WHO, Lundbeck or honoraria from AbbVie, Teva, Novartis, Pfizer.Carl Göbel declares honoraria from Fielmann AG and German Society for the Study of Pain.Maria Teresa Goicochea, personal fees as speaker or advisory board and/or non-financial support from Pfizer, AbbVie and Teva.Amr Hassan declares consulting fees or honoraria from Novartis, Sanofi Genzyme, Biologix, Merck, Hikma Pharma, Janssen, Inspire Pharma, Future Pharma, Elixir pharma, Allergan, Merck, Biologix, Roche, Bayer, Chemipharm, Al Andalus, and Clavita pharm.Koichi Hirata declares consulting fees from Otsuka Pharma, and honoraria from Amgen Astellas BioPharma KK, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, Eli Lilly Japan KK, MSD, Otsuka Pharma, Pfizer Japan, and Sawai Pharma.Jan Hoffmann declares grants/contracts from Bristol Myers Squibb, IHS, National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR), Medical Research Council (MRC) and Migraine Trust, consulting fees or honoraria from AbbVie, Cannovex, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Teva, Allergan, Chordate Medical AB, Lundbeck, Sanofi, MD Horizonte, Pfizer, Sage, NEJM Journal Watch Neurology, Oxford University Press, Quintessence Publishing, Springer Healthcare. He holds stock options from Chordate Medical AB.Bronwyn Jenkins declares honoraria from Allergan/AbbVie, Eli-Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Teva, Viatris.Katharina Kamm declares grants/contracts from the German Headache and Migraine Society, Novartis, consulting fees from Hormosan, and honoraria from Lundbeck, TEVA, derCampus, Novartis.Mi Ji Lee declares onsulting fees or honoraria from Eli-Lilly, Lundbeck, Pfizer, NuEyne Co, Teva AbbVie, SK Chemical, CKD Pharma, and YuYu.Marco Lisicki declares honoraria from Teva, AbbVie, Novartis, Pfizer and Allergan.Daniele Martinelli declares honoraria from AbbVie and Lundbeck.Teshamae S. Monteith has the following disclosures over the past 3 years: clinical trial site principal investigator for studies sponsored by Eli Lilly and AbbVie (all paid to the institution), participation in an advisory board/consultancy for AbbVie, Teva, Linpharma, e-Neura, Novartis, Merz, and Pfizer, Educational grant from Amgen and AbbVie, personal fees from Medscape, Massachusetts Medical Society, American Headache Society, American Academy of Neurology, Neurodiem, Academic CME, AbbVie, Novartis, unpaid co-author for research funded by AbbVie, Pfizer/Biohaven, and Theranica. She is an associate editor for Cephalalgia and Continuum Audio, and is on the editorial board for Neurology, American Migraine Foundation, and Brain and Life Magazine. TSM has provided unpaid service on the board of directors for the International Headache Society (2021–2023) and currently on the executive board for the Florida Society of Neurology.Raffaele Ornello declares grants/contracts from Novartis, consulting fees/honoraria from Eli Lilly, AbbVie, Pfizer, and Teva.Aynur Ozge declares consulting fees or honoraria from AbbVie Lilly, Teva, Abdi Ibrahim, İlko and Drogsan.Mario Peres accepted honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, manuscript writing and educational events from Pfizer, Teva, AbbVie-Allergan, Lundbeck. Accepted travel support from Teva. Participated in advisory boards, AbbVie-Allergan, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Kenvue, Eurofarma, Sanofi-Aventis. Mario Peres is president of ABRACES.Patricia Pozo-Rosich declares grants/contracts from ERANet Neuron, Instituto Salud Carlos III, Novartis, Teva and AbbVie and consulting fees or honoraria from AbbVie, Almirall, Eli Lilly, Lundbeck Medscape, Novartis, Pfizer, Teva.Todd J. Schwedt declares grants/contracts with AHA, Amgen, Henry Jackson Foundation, NIH, Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, Pfizer, Spark Neuro, US Dept. of Defense, AMF, NHF and Mayo Clinic with consulting fees from AbbVie, Allergan, Amgen, Axsome, Biodelivery Science, Biohaven, Click Therapeutics, Collegium, Eli Lilly, Equinox, Ipsen, Unpharma, Lundbeck, Novartis, Satsuma, Scilex, Theranica, and Tonix.Marcio Nattan P. Souza declares consulting fees or honoraria from Teva, Libbs, Pfizer, Sandoz, Lundbeck, Allergan/AbbVie, Lilly.Tsubasa Takizawa declares grants/research funds from Eli Lilly, Pfizer and Tsumura and advisory/consulting fees and/or honoraria from Eli Lilly, Daiichi Sankyo, Otsuka, Amgen, Teijin, Pfizer, Kyowa Kirin, Elsai, Kowa, UCB Japan, Takeda, and Santen Pharma.Gisela M. Terwindt declares grants/contracts from European Community, Dutch Heart Foundation, IRRF, Dioraphte and Dutch Brain Council with consulting fees or honoraria from Novartis, Lilly, Teva, AbbVie/Allergan, Lundbeck, Pfizer, Spring Media, Ashfield MedComms, Remedica Cygnea.Nicolas Vandenbussche declares consulting fees or honoraria Pfizer, AbbVie, Novartis, Teva, Babinski VZW, ACREHAB UGent.Shuu-Jiun Wang declares honoraria from AbbVie, Pfizer and Biogen.Cristina Tassorelli declares grants/contracts from AbbVie with consulting fees or honoraria from Eli Lilly, Dompé, Teva, Lundbeck, Pfizer, Medscape.All remaining authors report no disclosures or conflicts of interest.

Introduction: Dutch-type cerebral amyloid angiopathy (D-CAA) is an autosomal dominant hereditary form of CAA causing intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and cognitive decline. The age of onset of ICH in D-CAA mutation carriers is strikingly variable and ranges from late thirties up to 70 years. We investigated the presence of genetic anticipation and assessed the influence of parental age at onset and sex on age of ICH onset in offspring., Methods: We included (potential) D-CAA mutation carriers from our prospective D-CAA family database. Participants were sent a questionnaire by mail and asked for the onset age of symptomatic ICH and the onset age of symptomatic ICH of their affected first-degree relative(s), their siblings and affected parent. We used a Cox regression model with the age of onset of the parent as the covariate and the sex of the offspring as the factor. Next, we replaced the sex of the offspring with a factor with four levels: mother/daughter, mother/son, father/daughter, and father/son. We used a random effect per household., Results: A total of 66 respondents completed the questionnaire. Reported mean age of first symptomatic ICH was similar (both 52 years, p = 0.87) for D-CAA parents (n = 60) and their offspring (n = 100). Offspring with a mother with D-CAA seemed to have an earlier ICH onset (50 years, standard deviation [SD] ± 7) than offspring with a paternal inheritance (54 years, SD ± 6, p = 0.03). There was no association between onset of first ICH of the parent and offspring after adding sex of the offspring to the Cox regression model: hazard ratio 0.99, 95% CI: 0.94-1.03, p = 0.51. The interaction between parent's sex and child's sex was not significant (p = 0.70). The results with and without random effect were essentially identical., Conclusion: We found no indication for genetic anticipation in D-CAA in general, although maternal inheritance seemed to be associated with an earlier ICH onset., (© 2024 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Telemedicine offers a promising solution to enhance the delivery and personalization of headache care. Integrating electronic (e-)tools enables the objective monitoring of migraine. Objectives: This study aims to demonstrate the relevance of e-tools for personalized headache care, assess patient and caregiver compliance and satisfaction, and present their use in enhancing care. Methods: Firstly, a systematic review was performed to validate the diagnostic accuracy of e-diaries for diagnosing migraine. Secondly, we collected e-diary data prospectively from diagnosed adult migraine patients at the Leiden Headache Center. Finally, questionnaires were sent to evaluate satisfaction of patients and health care providers with the Leiden e-headache diary and video consultations. Results: In the systematic review, the Leiden Headache Center's e-diary was the only validated tool. Patients ( n = 1,009) were followed for a median of 181 days (interquartile range [IQR] 84-240). Compliance was 96.4% (IQR 85.2 - 99.1%), with 10.8% of days missing. Factors positively associated with compliance were older age ( p < 0.001), female sex ( p < 0.001), higher e-diary grade ( p < 0.001), and clinical use ( p = 0.04). The e-diary received a median score of 8/10 and was well-liked by patients ( n = 535) and providers ( n = 23). Video consultations were a good alternative for physical visits according to 76.9% of patients and 84.6% of providers. Conclusion: Validated e-headache diaries and video consultations in telemedicine enhance headache care accessibility, providing convenient care at preferred times and locations.

Background: Central sensitisation is an important mechanism in migraine chronification. It is presumed to occur in second and third order neurons sequentially, resulting in an analogous spatial distribution of cutaneous allodynia with cephalic and extracephalic symptoms. We investigated whether allodynia, and its subtypes based on spatial distribution and type of stimulus, predict response to treatment in chronic migraine patients., Methods: This study was conducted as part of the CHARM study (NTR3440), a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in chronic migraine patients with medication overuse. We included 173 patients. The presence of cutaneous allodynia at baseline was established with the Allodynia Symptom Checklist. Primary endpoint was reversion from chronic to episodic migraine., Results: Of all patients, 74.6% reported cutaneous allodynia. Absence of allodynia compared to presence of allodynia was predictive for reversion from chronic to episodic migraine, odds ratio (OR): 2.45 (95% CI: 1.03-5.84), p = 0.042. The predictive value was more pronounced when subdivided for spatial distribution, for participants without allodynia versus cephalic (OR: 4.16 (95% CI: 1.21-14.30), p = 0.024) and extracephalic (OR: 7.32 (95% CI: 1.98- 27.11), p = 0.003) allodynia. Mechanical, but not thermal, allodynia, was associated with outcome., Conclusions: Cutaneous allodynia, an important marker for central sensitization, likely has predictive value for treatment response in chronic migraine., (© 2023. Springer-Verlag Italia S.r.l., part of Springer Nature.)

Background and Purpose: Anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) (receptor) antibodies effectively reduce overall migraine attack frequency, but whether there are differences in effect between perimenstrual and nonperimenstrual migraine days has not been investigated., Methods: We performed a single-arm study among women with migraine. Participants were followed with electronic E-diaries during one (pretreatment) baseline month and 6 months of treatment with either erenumab or fremanezumab. Differences in treatment effect on perimenstrual and nonperimenstrual migraine days were assessed using a mixed effects logistic regression model, with migraine day as dependent variable; treatment, menstrual window, and an interaction term (treatment × menstrual window) as fixed effects; and patient as a random effect., Results: There was no interaction between the menstrual window and treatment effect, indicating that the reduction in migraine days under treatment was similar during the menstrual window and the remainder of the menstrual cycle (odds ratio for treatment = 0.44, 95% confidence interval = 0.38-0.51)., Conclusions: Our findings support prophylactic use of anti-CGRP (receptor) antibodies for women with menstrual migraine, as this leads to consistent reductions in number of migraine days during the entire menstrual cycle., (© 2023 The Authors. European Journal of Neurology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Academy of Neurology.)

Migraine is a complicated neurological disorder affecting 6% of men and 18% of women worldwide. Various mechanisms, including neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, altered mitochondrial function, neurotransmitter disturbances, cortical hyperexcitability, genetic factors, and endocrine system problems, are responsible for migraine. However, these mechanisms have not completely delineated the pathophysiology behind migraine, and they should be further studied. The brain microenvironment comprises neurons, glial cells, and vascular structures with complex interactions. Disruption of the brain microenvironment is the main culprit behind various neurological disorders. Neuron-glia crosstalk contributes to hyperalgesia in migraine. In the brain, microenvironment and related peripheral regulatory circuits, microglia, astrocytes, and satellite cells are necessary for proper function. These are the most important cells that could induce migraine headaches by disturbing the balance of the neurotransmitters in the nervous system. Neuroinflammation and oxidative stress are the prominent reactions glial cells drive during migraine. Understanding the role of cellular and molecular components of the brain microenvironment on the major neurotransmitters engaged in migraine pathophysiology facilitates the development of new therapeutic approaches with higher effectiveness for migraine headaches. Investigating the role of the brain microenvironment and neuroinflammation in migraine may help decipher its pathophysiology and provide an opportunity to develop novel therapeutic approaches for its management. This review aims to discuss the neuron-glia interactions in the brain microenvironment during migraine and their potential role as a therapeutic target for the treatment of migraine., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: Impaired amine metabolism has been associated with the etiology of migraine, that is, why patients continue to get migraine attacks. However, evidence from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is lacking. Here, we evaluated individual amine levels, global amine profiles, and amine pathways in CSF and plasma of interictal migraine patients and healthy controls., Methods: CSF and plasma were sampled between 8:30 am and 1:00 pm, randomly and interchangeably over the time span to avoid any diurnal and seasonal influences, from healthy volunteers and interictal migraine patients, matched for age, sex, and sampling time. The study was approved by the local medical ethics committee. Individual amines (n = 31), global amine profiles, and specific amine pathways were analyzed using a validated ultraperformance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry platform., Results: We analyzed n = 99 participants with migraine with aura, n = 98 with migraine without aura, and n = 96 healthy volunteers. Univariate analysis with Bonferroni correction indicated that CSF L-arginine was reduced in migraine with aura (10.4%, p < 0.001) and without aura (5.0%, p = 0.03). False discovery rate-corrected CSF L-phenylalanine was also lower in migraine with aura (6.9%, p = 0.011) and without aura (8.1%, p = 0.001), p = 0.088 after Bonferroni correction. Multivariate analysis revealed that CSF global amine profiles were similar for both types of migraine (p = 0.64), but distinct from controls (p = 0.009). Global profile analyses were similar in plasma. The strongest associated pathways with migraine were related to L-arginine metabolism., Interpretation: L-Arginine was decreased in the CSF (but not in plasma) of interictal patients with migraine with or without aura, and associated pathways were altered. This suggests that dysfunction of nitric oxide signaling is involved in susceptibility to getting migraine attacks. ANN NEUROL 2023;93:715-728., (© 2022 The Authors. Annals of Neurology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Neurological Association.)

Objective: In this prospective cohort study, characteristics of perimenstrual and non-perimenstrual migraine attacks in women were compared with migraine attacks in men., Background: Women report longer migraine attacks and more accompanying symptoms than men in cross-sectional questionnaire studies, but this has not been confirmed in longitudinal studies. Supposed differences could result from different characteristics specific to perimenstrual migraine attacks, or of attacks in women in general., Methods: This cohort study was performed among patients with migraine who were treated at the Leiden Headache Clinic. We assessed differences in migraine attack characteristics between men and women who were prospectively followed by a previously validated electronic headache diary. The primary outcome was "attack" duration. Differences between perimenstrual (Days -2 to +3 of the menstrual cycle) and non-perimenstrual attacks in women versus attacks in men were corrected for age, chronic migraine, and medication overuse headache., Results: A total of 1347 women and 284 men were included, reflecting the preponderance of women in migraine prevalence. Crude median (first and third quartile [Q1-Q3]) attack duration in men was 32.1 [17.7-53.6] h, compared to 36.7 [21.9-62.4] h for non-perimenstrual migraine attacks and 44.4 [17.9-79.0] h for perimenstrual migraine attacks in women. After correction for confounding, perimenstrual migraine attacks were 1.62 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.47-1.79; p < 0.001) and non-perimenstrual 1.15 (95% CI 1.05-1.25; p = 0.003) times longer compared to migraine attacks in men. The mean relapse percentage in men was 9.2%, compared to 12.6% for non-perimenstrual migraine attacks, and 15.7% for perimenstrual migraine attacks. Relapse risk was greater for perimenstrual (odds ratio [OR] 2.39, 95% CI 1.93-2.95; p < 0.001), but not for non-perimenstrual (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.97-1.45; p = 0.060) attacks. Migraine attacks in women were more often accompanied by photophobia, phonophobia, and nausea, but less often aura., Conclusion: Compared to attacks in men, both perimenstrual and non-perimenstrual migraine attacks are of longer duration and are more often accompanied by associated symptoms. A sex-specific approach to migraine treatment and research is needed., (© 2023 The Authors. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Headache Society.)

Migraine is a highly prevalent brain condition with paroxysmal changes in brain excitability believed to contribute to the initiation of an attack. The attacks and their unpredictability have a major impact on the lives of patients. Clinical management is hampered by a lack of reliable predictors for upcoming attacks, which may help in understanding pathophysiological mechanisms to identify new treatment targets that may be positioned between the acute and preventive possibilities that are currently available. So far, a large range of studies using conventional hospital-based EEG recordings have provided contradictory results, with indications of both cortical hyper- as well as hypo-excitability. These heterogeneous findings may largely be because most studies were cross-sectional in design, providing only a snapshot in time of a patient's brain state without capturing day-to-day fluctuations. The scope of this narrative review is to (i) reflect on current knowledge on EEG changes in the context of migraine, the attack cycle, and underlying pathophysiology; (ii) consider the effects of migraine treatment on EEG features; (iii) outline challenges and opportunities in using EEG for monitoring attack susceptibility; and (iv) discuss future applications of EEG in home-based settings.

Background: Patients with sporadic cerebral amyloid angiopathy (sCAA) frequently report cognitive or neuropsychiatric symptoms. The aim of this study is to investigate whether in patients with sCAA, cognitive impairment and neuropsychiatric symptoms are associated with a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker profile associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD)., Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included participants with sCAA and dementia- and stroke-free, age- and sex-matched controls, who underwent a lumbar puncture, brain MRI, cognitive assessments, and self-administered and informant-based-questionnaires on neuropsychiatric symptoms. CSF phosphorylated tau, total tau and Aβ42 levels were used to divide sCAA patients in two groups: CAA with (CAA-AD+) or without a CSF biomarker profile associated with AD (CAA-AD-). Performance on global cognition, specific cognitive domains (episodic memory, working memory, processing speed, verbal fluency, visuoconstruction, and executive functioning), presence and severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms, were compared between groups., Results: sCAA-AD+ (n=31; mean age: 72 ± 6; 42%, 61% female) and sCAA-AD- (n=23; 70 ± 5; 42% female) participants did not differ with respect to global cognition or type of affected cognitive domain(s). The number or severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms also did not differ between sCAA-AD+ and sCAA-AD- participants. These results did not change after exclusion of patients without prior ICH., Conclusions: In participants with sCAA, a CSF biomarker profile associated with AD does not impact global cognition or specific cognitive domains, or the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Anti-CGRP-(receptor-)monoclonal antibodies (anti-CGRP(R)-mAbs) represent a novel class of drugs for migraine treatment, but their long-term cerebrovascular and cardiovascular (CV) safety warrants further examination., Methods: In this observational cohort study we assessed the CV safety for erenumab and fremanezumab in a real-world setting during a follow-up period of at least 1 year. Patients with hypertension or CV history were excluded. We conducted ECGs and collected clinical data at treatment initiation and thereafter every 3 months, including liver and kidney function, lipid-, electrolyte-and glucose levels., Results: Among patients receiving erenumab ( n = 101) or fremanezumab ( n = 92), 3.1% (6/193) developed abnormal ECGs or CV adverse events. Of these, three (1.6%) experienced moderate to severe CV adverse events (cerebellar stroke, spontaneous coronary artery dissection, and pericarditis) and discontinued treatment. The remaining three (1.6%) developed non-threatening ECG abnormalities without physical complaints. No significant changes were observed in liver and kidney function, lipid-, electrolyte-, or glucose levels., Discussion: We observed CV events in 1.6% of patients with 1.5-year follow-up of anti-CGRP(R)-mAbs treatment. We advise awareness regarding CV events in patients with migraine undergoing CGRP-targeted treatment, not as a confirmation of increased risk but as a proactive measure to address potential multifactorial influences., Competing Interests: BA and GT report independent support from the Dutch Research Council (849200007) and the Dutch Brain Foundation (HA2017.01.05). GT reports consultancy or industry support from Abbvie/Allergan, Lilly, Lundbeck, Novartis, Pfizer, Teva, and Interactive Studios BV, and independent support from the European Community, Dutch Heart and Brain Foundations, Dutch Research Council, and Dioraphte. MO received payment for lectures from TEVA, Novo Nordic, Boehringer & Ingelheim and AstraZeneca. AM reports consultancy or industry support from Lilly, Novartis, Teva, and independent support from the Dutch Brain Foundation (HA2017.01.05) and the Dutch Research Council (849200007). The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Van Der Arend, Van Veelen, De Ruijter, Olsen, MaassenVanDenBrink and Terwindt.)

Background: Neurofilament light chain (NFL) is a biomarker for neuroaxonal damage and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) for reactive astrocytosis. Both processes occur in cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), but studies investigating the potential of NFL and GFAP as markers for CAA are lacking. We aimed to investigate NFL and GFAP as biomarkers for neuroaxonal damage and astrocytosis in CAA., Methods: For this cross-sectional study serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were collected between 2010 and 2020 from controls, (pre)symptomatic Dutch-type hereditary (D-CAA) mutation-carriers and participants with sporadic CAA (sCAA) from two prospective CAA studies at two University hospitals in the Netherlands. NFL and GFAP levels were measured with Simoa-assays. The association between NFL and GFAP levels and age, cognitive performance (MoCA), CAA-related MRI markers (CAA-CSVD-burden) and Aβ40 and Aβ42 levels in CSF were assessed with linear regression adjusted for confounders. The control group was divided in age < 55 and ≥55 years to match the specific groups., Results: We included 187 participants: 28 presymptomatic D-CAA mutation-carriers (mean age 40 years), 29 symptomatic D-CAA participants (mean age 58 years), 59 sCAA participants (mean age 72 years), 33 controls < 55 years (mean age 42 years) and 38 controls ≥ 55 years (mean age 65 years). In presymptomatic D-CAA, only GFAP in CSF (7.7*10 3 pg/mL vs. 4.4*10 3 pg/mL in controls; P<.001) was increased compared to controls. In symptomatic D-CAA, both serum (NFL:26.2pg/mL vs. 12.5pg/mL; P=0.008, GFAP:130.8pg/mL vs. 123.4pg/mL; P=0.027) and CSF (NFL:16.8*10 2 pg/mL vs. 7.8*10 2 pg/mL; P=0.01 and GFAP:11.4*10 3 pg/mL vs. 7.5*10 3 pg/mL; P<.001) levels were higher than in controls and serum levels (NFL:26.2pg/mL vs. 6.7pg/mL; P=0.05 and GFAP:130.8pg/mL vs. 66.0pg/mL; P=0.004) were higher than in pre-symptomatic D-CAA. In sCAA, only NFL levels were increased compared to controls in both serum (25.6pg/mL vs. 12.5pg/mL; P=0.005) and CSF (20.0*10 2 pg/mL vs 7.8*10 2 pg/mL; P=0.008). All levels correlated with age. Serum NFL correlated with MoCA (P=0.008) and CAA-CSVD score (P<.001). NFL and GFAP in CSF correlated with Aβ42 levels (P=0.01/0.02)., Conclusions: GFAP level in CSF is an early biomarker for CAA and is increased years before symptom onset. NFL and GFAP levels in serum and CSF are biomarkers for advanced CAA., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background and Objectives: Few anecdotal cases and 1 small retrospective study during short-duration space missions suggest that headache may occur early in flight, as part of the space motion syndrome. Whether headaches may also occur at later stages of space flights is unknown. We aimed to prospectively characterize the incidence, timing, clinical features, and management of space headaches during long-duration flights., Methods: We prospectively evaluated the occurrence, characteristics, and evolution of space headaches and the effects of treatment and countermeasures during long-haul flights with onboard questionnaires and correlated them with prevailing temperature, pressure, and ambient O 2 and CO 2 levels, measured within the International Space Station. In addition, we analyzed retrospective headache data from a different astronaut cohort. Headache data were reported using descriptive statistics and correlation data with intraindividual logistic regression models. Astronauts were included through (inter)national aerospace organizations., Results: In the prospective study, 22/24 (91.7%) astronauts (mean ± SD age: 46.6 ± 6.5 years, 95.8% male) experienced ≥1 episode of headache during a total of 3,596 space days. A total of 378 episodes were reported (median 9; range 1-128) with detailed information on 189. Phenotypically, 170/189 (89.9%) episodes were tension-type headache (TTH) and 19/189 (10.1%) were migraine. Episodes in the first week differed from those in later periods in terms of phenotype (migraine 12/51 [23.5%] vs 7/138 [5.1%]; TTH 39/51 [86.5%] vs 131/138 [94.9%]; overall p = 0.0002) and accompanying symptoms: nausea: 17.6% vs 6.9%, p = 0.05; vomiting: 9.8% vs 0.7%, p = 0.005; nasal congestion: 52.9% vs 29.7%, p = 0.004; facial edema: 41.2% vs 1.4%, p < 0.001; and duration ( p = 0.001). Severity and treatments were similar: acute antiheadache medication: 55.6%; other medication: 22.4%; and alternative treatments: 41.1%. Headache occurrence was not associated with temperature or ambient pressure/levels of O 2 and CO 2 (all p > 0.05). In the retrospective study, 23/42 (54.8%) astronauts (43.5 ± 7.2 years, 90.5% male) reported experiencing ≥1 headache episode during mission. Nasal congestion was the most common (8/33; 24.2%) accompanying symptom. Seventeen of 42 astronauts have been previously described., Discussion: Astronauts during space flights frequently experience headaches. These most often have characteristics of TTHs but sometimes have migrainous features, particularly during the first week of flight in astronauts without a history of recurrent headaches before or after the space flight.

Background: Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) may affect cognition, but their burden in cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), one of the main causes of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and dementia in the elderly, remains unclear. We investigated NPS, with emphasis on apathy and irritability in sporadic (sCAA) and Dutch-type hereditary (D-)CAA., Methods: We included patients with sCAA and (pre)symptomatic D-CAA, and controls from four prospective cohort studies. We assessed NPS per group, stratified for history of ICH, using the informant-based Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-Q), Starkstein Apathy scale (SAS), and Irritability Scale. We modeled the association of NPS with disease status, executive function, processing speed, and CAA-burden score on MRI and investigated sex-differences., Results: We included 181 participants: 82 with sCAA (mean[SD] age 72[6] years, 44% women, 28% previous ICH), 56 with D-CAA (52[11] years, 54% women, n = 31[55%] presymptomatic), and 43 controls (69[9] years, 44% women). The NPI-Q NPS-count differed between patients and controls (sCAA-ICH+:adj.β = 1.4[95%CI:0.6-2.3]; sCAA-ICH-:1.3[0.6-2.0]; symptomatic D-CAA:2.0[1.1-2.9]; presymptomatic D-CAA:1.2[0.1-2.2], control median:0[IQR:0-3]), but not between the different CAA-subgroups. Apathy and irritability were reported most frequently: n = 12[31%] sCAA, 19[37%] D-CAA had a high SAS-score; n = 12[29%] sCAA, 14[27%] D-CAA had a high Irritability Scale score. NPS-count was associated with decreased processing speed (adj.β=-0.6[95%CI:-0.8;-0.4]) and executive function (adj.β=-0.4[95%CI:-0.6;-0.1]), but not with radiological CAA-burden. Men had NPS more often than women., Discussion: According to informants, one third to half of patients with CAA have NPS, mostly apathy, even in presymptomatic D-CAA and possibly with increased susceptibility in men. Neurologists should inform patients and caregivers of these disease consequences and treat or refer patients with NPS appropriately., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The temporal ordering of biomarkers for cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is important for their use in trials and for the understanding of the pathological cascade of CAA. We investigated the presence and abnormality of the most common biomarkers in the largest (pre)symptomatic Dutch-type hereditary CAA (D-CAA) cohort to date., Methods: We included cross-sectional data from participants with (pre)symptomatic D-CAA and controls without CAA. We investigated CAA-related cerebral small vessel disease markers on 3T-MRI, cerebrovascular reactivity with functional 7T-MRI (fMRI) and amyloid-β 40 and amyloid-β 42 levels in cerebrospinal fluid. We calculated frequencies and plotted biomarker abnormality according to age to form scatterplots., Results: We included 68 participants with D-CAA (59% presymptomatic, mean age, 50 [range, 26-75] years; 53% women), 53 controls (mean age, 51 years; 42% women) for cerebrospinal fluid analysis and 36 controls (mean age, 53 years; 100% women) for fMRI analysis. Decreased cerebrospinal fluid amyloid-β 40 and amyloid-β 42 levels were the earliest biomarkers present: all D-CAA participants had lower levels of amyloid-β 40 and amyloid-β 42 compared with controls (youngest participant 30 years). Markers of nonhemorrhagic injury (>20 enlarged perivascular spaces in the centrum semiovale and white matter hyperintensities Fazekas score, ≥2, present in 83% [n=54]) and markers of impaired cerebrovascular reactivity (abnormal BOLD amplitude, time to peak and time to baseline, present in 56% [n=38]) were present from the age of 30 years. Finally, markers of hemorrhagic injury were present in 64% (n=41) and only appeared after the age of 41 years (first microbleeds and macrobleeds followed by cortical superficial siderosis)., Conclusions: Our results suggest that amyloid biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid are the first to become abnormal in CAA, followed by MRI biomarkers for cerebrovascular reactivity and nonhemorrhagic injury and lastly hemorrhagic injury. This temporal ordering probably reflects the pathological stages of CAA and should be taken into account when future therapeutic trials targeting specific stages are designed., Competing Interests: Disclosures Dr van der Zwet and M. R. Schipper report support from the TRACK D-CAA consortium (Alnylam, Biogen, the Dutch CAA foundation, Vereniging HCHWA-D, researchers from Leiden, Boston, Perth). Dr van Osch reports support by a Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO)-VICI grant (016.160.351) and a NWO-Human Measurement Models 2.0 grant (18969), European Community, the Dutch Heart Foundation, the Dutch Brain Foundation VSNU Netherlands and the TRACK D-CAA consortium. Dr Verbeek reports independent support from ZonMw (09120012110098, 10510032120006, and 10510032120003), the Galen and Hilary Weston Foundation (NR170024), Maag-Lever-Darm Stichting (21-05), Parkinson NL (P2021-18), Stichting Alkemade-Keuls, National Institutes of Health (5R01NS104147). Dr Terwindt reports independent support from de NWO, European Community, the Dutch Heart Foundation, the Dutch Brain Foundation, and the Dutch CAA foundation, compensation from Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, H. Lundbeck A S, Novartis Pharma, and Eli Lilly and Company for consultant services. Dr Greenberg reports independent support from the US National Institutes of Health. Dr Wermer independent support from the NWO ZonMw (VIDI grant 91717337), the Netherlands Heart Foundation (2016T86). The other authors report no conflicts.

Objective: Cluster headache is associated with a decreased quality of life (QoL). The increased focus on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS) has led to the creation of a tailored Cluster Headache Quality of Life scale (CHQ). Our objective was to create and authenticate a Dutch version of the CHQ (CHQ-D)., Methods: The TRAPD model (Translation, Review, Adjudication, Pretesting, Documentation) was used to translate the CHQ from English to Dutch and ensure cross-cultural adaption. Pre-testing was performed in n = 31 participants, and validity was in a new sample of n = 40 participants who completed the CHQ twice at a 2-day interval. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cronbach's alpha were used to assess the validity and reproducibility of the CHQ-D., Results: To produce the CHQ-D, we made five modifications based on pretesting. Participants finished the questionnaire in a median time of 10 min (IQR:10.0, 17.5) and 90% within 20 min. The majority of participants (74.2%) did not find it burdensome at all. The reliability of the CHQ-D was excellent (Cronbach's alpha: 0.94; ICC: 0.94)., Conclusion: The CHQ-D is a valid and practical instrument for QoL in individuals with cluster headache. We aim to use CHQ-D as PROM in clinical research in the Netherlands to enforce international collaborations and comparisons of studies., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Persistent headache attributed to traumatic injury to the head is divided into two subtypes, one attributed to moderate or severe traumatic injury and another attributed to mild traumatic injury (i.e., concussion). The latter is much more prevalent, in part because more than 90% of cases with traumatic brain injury are classified as mild. The pathophysiology of persistent post-traumatic headache is poorly understood and the underlying mechanisms are likely multifactorial. There is currently no approved treatment specifically for persistent post-traumatic headache, and management strategies rely on medications used for migraine or tension-type headache. Therefore, high-quality trials are urgently needed to support clinical decision-making and optimize management strategies. International guidelines can facilitate appropriate trial design and ensure the acquisition of high-quality data evaluating the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of available and novel pharmacological therapies for the preventive treatment of persistent post-traumatic headache., Methods: The development of this guideline was based on a literature review of available studies in MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, along with a review of previously published guidelines for controlled trials of preventive treatment for episodic and chronic migraine. The identified literature was critically appraised, and due to the scarcity of scientific evidence, recommendations were primarily based on the consensus of experts in the field., Objective: To provide guidelines for designing state-of-the-art controlled clinical trials aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of preventive treatments for persistent post-traumatic headache attributed to mild traumatic brain injury.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of treatment with anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP; receptor) antibodies on visual hypersensitivity in patients with migraine., Background: Increased visual sensitivity can be present both during and outside migraine attacks. CGRP has been demonstrated to play a key role in light-aversive behavior., Methods: In this prospective follow-up study, patients treated for migraine with erenumab (n = 105) or fremanezumab (n = 100) in the Leiden Headache Center were invited to complete a questionnaire on visual sensitivity (the Leiden Visual Sensitivity Scale [L-VISS]), pertaining to both their ictal and interictal state, before starting treatment (T0) and 3 months after treatment initiation (T1). Using a daily e-diary, treatment effectiveness was assessed in weeks 9-12 compared to a 4-week pre-treatment baseline period. L-VISS scores were compared between T0 and T1. Subsequently, the association between the reduction in L-VISS scores and the reduction in monthly migraine days (MMD) was investigated., Results: At 3 months, the visual hypersensitivity decreased, with a decrease in mean ± standard deviation (SD) ictal L-VISS (from 20.1 ± 7.7 to 19.2 ± 8.1, p = 0.042) and a decrease in mean ± SD interictal L-VISS (from 11.8 ± 6.6 to 11.1 ± 7.0, p = 0.050). We found a positive association between the reduction in MMD and the decrease in interictal L-VISS (β = 0.2, p = 0.010) and the reduction in ictal L-VISS (β = 0.3, p = 0.001)., Conclusion: A decrease in visual hypersensitivity in patients with migraine after treatment with anti-CGRP (receptor) antibodies is positively associated with clinical response on migraine., (© 2023 The Authors. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Headache Society.)

Background: Currently, there is no evidence-based hormonal treatment for migraine in women. Several small studies suggest a beneficial effect of combined oral contraceptives, but no large randomized controlled trial has been performed. As proof of efficacy is lacking and usage may be accompanied by potentially severe side effects, there is a great need for clarity on this topic., Methods: Women with menstrual migraine (n = 180) are randomly assigned (1:1) to ethinylestradiol/levonorgestrel 30/150 μg or vitamin E 400 IU. Participants start with a baseline period of 4 weeks, which is followed by a 12-week treatment period. During the study period, a E-headache diary will be used, which is time-locked and includes an automated algorithm differentiating headache and migraine days., Results: The primary outcome will be change in monthly migraine days (MMD) from baseline (weeks - 4 to 0) to the last 4 weeks of treatment (weeks 9 to 12). Secondary outcomes will be change in monthly headache days (MHD) and 50% responder rates of MMD and MHD., Conclusions: The WHAT! trial aims to investigate effectivity and safety of continuous combined oral contraceptive treatment for menstrual migraine. Immediate implementation of results in clinical practice is possible., Trial Registration: Clinical trials.gov NCT04007874 . Registered 28 June 2019., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background and Purpose: The aim was to evaluate the effect of anti-calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) (ligand or receptor) antibodies on depressive symptoms in subjects with migraine and to determine whether depressive symptoms predict treatment response., Methods: Patients with migraine treated with erenumab and fremanezumab at the Leiden Headache Centre completed daily E-headache diaries. A control group was included. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) questionnaires at baseline (T0) and after 3 months (T1). First, the effect of treatment on the reduction in HADS-D and CES-D scores was assessed, with reduction in depression scores as the dependent variable and reduction in monthly migraine days (MMD) and treatment with anti-CGRP medication as independent variables. Second, depression as a predictor of treatment response was investigated, using the absolute reduction in MMD as a dependent variable and age, gender, MMD, active depression, impact, stress and locus of control scores as independent variables., Results: In total, n = 108 patients were treated with erenumab, n = 90 with fremanezumab and n = 68 were without active treatment. Treatment with anti-CGRP medication was positively associated with a reduction in the HADS-D (β = 1.65, p = 0.01) compared to control, independent of MMD reduction. However, the same effect was not found for the CES-D (β = 2.15, p = 0.21). Active depression predicted poorer response to erenumab (p = 0.02) but not to fremanezumab (p = 0.09)., Conclusion: Anti-CGRP (ligand or receptor) monoclonals lead to improvement of depressive symptoms in individuals with migraine, independent of migraine reduction. Depression may predict treatment response to erenumab but not to fremanezumab., (© 2023 The Authors. European Journal of Neurology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Academy of Neurology.)

Introduction: Migraine is associated with enhanced visual sensitivity during and outside attacks. Processing of visual information is a highly non-linear process involving complex interactions across (sub)cortical networks. In this exploratory study, we combined electroencephalography with bi-sinusoidal light stimulation to assess non-linear features of visual processing in participants with migraine., Methods: Twenty participants with migraine (10 with aura, 10 without aura) and ten non-headache controls were measured (outside attacks). Participants received bi-sinusoidal 13 + 23 Hz red light visual stimulation. Electroencephalography spectral power and multi-spectral phase coherence were compared between groups at the driving stimulation frequencies together with multiples and combinations of these frequencies (harmonic and intermodulation frequencies) caused by non-linearities., Results: Only at the driving frequency of 13 Hz higher spectral power was found in migraine with aura participants compared with those with migraine without aura and controls. Differences in phase coherence were present for 2nd, 4th, and 5th-order non-linearities in those with migraine (migraine with and without aura) compared with controls. Bi-sinusoidal light stimulation revealed evident non-linearities in the brain's electroencephalography response up to the 5th order with reduced phase coherence for higher order interactions in interictal participants with migraine., Discussion: Insight into interictal non-linear visual processing may help understand brain dynamics underlying migraine attack susceptibility. Future research is needed to determine the clinical value of the results., Competing Interests: GT has performed paid consultancy services for the following commercial entities: Novartis, Allergan/Abbvie, Lilly, Lundbeck, Pfizer, and Teva. These services were provided independently or on behalf of Leiden University Medical Center. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 van den Hoek, Perenboom, Terwindt, Tolner and van de Ruit.)

Hemiplegic migraine (HM) is a rare subtype of migraine with aura in which the aura phase includes transient motor weakness. Diagnosis is based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders criteria (ICHD-3). The most important diagnostic tools remain a patient interview, neurological examination during attacks, and exclusion of other disorders, such as epilepsy, stroke, encephalitis and secondary headache syndromes. Hemiplegic migraine can occur either familial or sporadic. Three genes, CACNA1A, ATP1A2, and SCN1A have been identified. Taken together, mutations in these three genes predict increased neurotransmitter and potassium ion levels at the synaptic cleft, which facilitates cortical spreading depolarization, the phenomenon underlying the migraine aura. The presence of several symptoms, including extensive weakness and brainstem manifestations increase the likelihood of finding a monogenic cause. While the diagnosis can be confirmed by genetic testing, it cannot be excluded if one of the known (F)HM genes is not implicated. Most patients with hemiplegic migraine without a mutation in CACNA1A, ATP1A2, or SCN1A display a mild phenotype that is more akin to that of common (nonhemiplegic) migraine. Additional diagnostics such as brain imaging, cerebrospinal fluid analysis or an electroencephalography are mainly performed to exclude other causes of focal neurologic symptoms associated with hemiparesis and headache. Due to the rarity of the disorder, current treatment recommendations are based on small, unblinded studies and empirical data., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.)

Background: Chronic migraine, a highly disabling migraine subtype, affects nearly 2% of the general population. Understanding migraine chronification is vital for developing better treatment and prevention strategies. An important factor in the chronification of migraine is the overuse of acute headache medication. However, the mechanisms behind the transformation of episodic migraine to chronic migraine and vice versa have not yet been elucidated. We performed a longitudinal epigenome-wide association study to identify DNA methylation (DNAm) changes associated with treatment response in patients with chronic migraine and medication overuse as part of the Chronification and Reversibility of Migraine clinical trial. Blood was taken from patients with chronic migraine (n = 98) at baseline and after a 12-week medication withdrawal period. Treatment responders, patients with ≥ 50% reduction in monthly headache days (MHD), were compared with non-responders to identify DNAm changes associated with treatment response. Similarly, patients with ≥ 50% versus < 50% reduction in monthly migraine days (MMD) were compared., Results: At the epigenome-wide significant level (p < 9.42 × 10 -8 ), a longitudinal reduction in DNAm at an intronic CpG site (cg14377273) within the HDAC4 gene was associated with MHD response following the withdrawal of acute medication. HDAC4 is highly expressed in the brain, plays a major role in synaptic plasticity, and modulates the expression and release of several neuroinflammation markers which have been implicated in migraine pathophysiology. Investigating whether baseline DNAm associated with treatment response, we identified lower baseline DNAm at a CpG site (cg15205829) within MARK3 that was significantly associated with MMD response at 12 weeks., Conclusions: Our findings of a longitudinal reduction in HDAC4 DNAm status associated with treatment response and baseline MARK3 DNAm status as an early biomarker for treatment response, provide support for a role of pathways related to chromatin structure and synaptic plasticity in headache chronification and introduce HDAC4 and MARK3 as novel therapeutic targets., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA) is characterized by cerebrovascular amyloid-β accumulation leading to hallmark cortical MRI markers, such as vascular reactivity, but white matter is also affected. By studying the relationship in different disease stages of Dutch-type CAA (D-CAA), we tested the relation between vascular reactivity and microstructural white matter integrity loss. In a cross-sectional study in D-CAA, 3 T MRI was performed with Blood-Oxygen-Level-Dependent (BOLD) fMRI upon visual activation to assess vascular reactivity and diffusion tensor imaging to assess microstructural white matter integrity through Peak Width of Skeletonized Mean Diffusivity (PSMD). We assessed the relationship between BOLD parameters - amplitude, time-to-peak (TTP), and time-to-baseline (TTB) - and PSMD, with linear and quadratic regression modeling. In total, 25 participants were included (15/10 pre-symptomatic/symptomatic; mean age 36/59 y). A lowered BOLD amplitude (unstandardized β = 0.64, 95%CI [0.10, 1.18], p  = 0.02, Adjusted R 2  = 0.48), was quadratically associated with increased PSMD levels. A delayed BOLD response, with prolonged TTP (β = 8.34 × 10 -6 , 95%CI [1.84 × 10 -6 , 1.48 × 10 -5 ], p  = 0.02, Adj. R 2  = 0.25) and TTB (β = 6.57 × 10 -6 , 95%CI [1.92 × 10 -6 , 1.12 × 10 -5 ], p  = 0.008, Adj. R 2  = 0.29), was linearly associated with increased PSMD. In D-CAA subjects, predominantly in the symptomatic stage, impaired cerebrovascular reactivity is related to microstructural white matter integrity loss. Future longitudinal studies are needed to investigate whether this relation is causal., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: M.R. Schipper reports independent support from the TRACK D-CAA consortium, consisting of Alnylam, Biogen, the Dutch CAA foundation, Vereniging HCHWA-D, and researchers from Leiden, Boston, and Perth.N. Vlegels reports support by the Dutch Heart Foundation.T.W. van Harten reports no disclosures.I. Rasing reports no disclosures.E.A. Koemans reports no disclosures.S. Voigt reports no disclosures.A. de Luca reports independent support from Alzheimer Nederland (WE-03-2022-11) as well as from ZonMW.K. Kaushik reports no disclosures.E.S. van Etten reports no disclosures.E.W. van Zwet reports no disclosures.G.M. Terwindt reports independent support from the Dutch Research Council (NWO), European Community, the Dutch Heart Foundation, the Dutch Brain Foundation, and the Dutch CAA foundation.G.J. Biessels reports support through the HBC (Heart-Brain Connection) Consortium, funded by the Netherlands CardioVascular Research Initiative, involving the Dutch Heart Foundation (CVON 2018-28 & 2012-06 Heart Brain Connection), Dutch Federation of University Medical Centers, the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development, and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences.M.J.P. van Osch reports support by a NWO-VICI grant (016.160.351) and a NWO-Human Measurement Models 2.0 grant (18969) as well as support from the Dutch Research Council (NWO), European Community, the Dutch Heart Foundation, and the Dutch Brain Foundation.M.A.A. van Walderveen reports no disclosures.M.J.H. Wermer reports independent support from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) ZonMw (VIDI grant 91717337), the Netherlands Heart Foundation (Dekker grant 2016T86), and the Dutch CAA foundation.

Background: Retinal vasculopathy with cerebral leukoencephalopathy and systemic manifestations (RVCL-S) is a monogenic small vessel disease caused by mutations in TREX1. Several organs, including retina and brain, are affected. Analyzing retinal anatomy is increasingly used as a biomarker for ophthalmological and neurological disorders (due to the shared embryological origin of retina and brain). Optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides a noninvasive cross-sectional visualization of optic disc and macula. We aimed to use OCT to investigate retinal layer thickness in RVCL-S., Methods: Cross-sectional, 17 TREX1 mutation carriers (34 eyes) and 9 controls (18 eyes) underwent comprehensive ophthalmologic assessment followed by spectral domain OCT for measuring peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness and total macular volume (TMV). Secondary outcomes included measuring thickness of individual macular retinal layers and peripapillary sectors. Findings were analyzed using generalized estimating equations to account for intereye correlation., Results: TREX1 mutation carriers had decreased pRNFL thickness (median [interquartile range] 76 [60-99] vs 99 [87-108] µm, P < 0.001) and TMV (8.1 [7.4-8.5] vs 8.7 [8.4-8.8] mm3, P = 0.006) compared with controls. With the exception of the temporal sector, the thickness of all peripapillary sectors was decreased in TREX1 mutation carriers. Ganglion cell layer (30 [22-37] vs 39 [36-41] µm, P < 0.001) and inner plexiform layer (27 [24-34] vs 34 [31-35], P = 0.001) were thinner in TREX1 mutation carriers. Notably, in 9 of 12 eyes with normal funduscopic examination, retinal thinning was already detected., Conclusions: RVCL-S, which may serve as a vascular retinopathy model, is associated with retinal thinning in the peripapillary and macular area. OCT findings can potentially serve as early biomarkers for RVCL-S and other vascular retinopathies., Competing Interests: G. M. Terwindt reports independent support from the Dutch Heart Foundation and the Dutch Brain Foundation. The remaining authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 by North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society.)

Background and Aims: To understand pathophysiological mechanisms underlying migraine as a cardiovascular risk factor, we studied neuropeptide action and endothelial function as measures of peripheral microvascular function in middle-aged women with or without migraine., Methods: We included women with the endocrine disorder polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a population with supposed elevated cardiovascular risk, with and without comorbid migraine. In 26 women without and 23 women with migraine in the interictal phase (mean age 50.8 ± 2.9 years) local thermal hyperemia (LTH) of the skin of the volar forearm was measured cross-sectionally under control conditions, after inhibition of neuropeptide release by 5% lidocaine/prilocaine (EMLA) cream application, and after inhibition of nitric oxide formation by iontophoresis of NG-monomethyl-l-arginine (L-NMMA). Hereafter, changes in the natural logarithm of the reactive hyperemia index (lnRHI) and augmentation index (AI) during reperfusion after occlusion-derived ischemia were measured., Results: While mean values under control conditions and L-NMMA conditions were similar, migraine patients had a significantly higher mean area of the curve (AUC) of the total LTH response after EMLA application than those without (86.7 ± 26.5% versus 67.9 ± 24.2%; p = 0.014). This was also reflected by a higher median AUC of the plateau phase under similar conditions in women with migraine compared to those without (83.2% (IQR[73.2-109.5]) versus 73.2% (IQR[54.3-92.0]); p = 0.039). Mean changes in lnRHI and AI scores were similar in both groups., Conclusions: In PCOS patients with migraine, neuropeptide action was lower compared with those without migraine. While larger studies are warranted, these findings provide a potential mechanism supporting previous findings that migraine may be independent from traditional risk factors, including atherosclerosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Linda Al-Hassany, Katie M. Linstra, Cindy Meun, Jeffrey van den Berg, Eric H. Boersma, A.H. Jan Danser, and Joop S. Laven declares no conflict of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Bart C.J.M. Fauser has received fees, or grant support over the most recent 4 year period from the following organisations (in alphabetic order); Bain Capital, Controversies in Obstetrics & Gynecology (COGI), Dutch Heart Foundation (Nederlandse Hartstichting), Elsevier, European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), Ferring, International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS), London Womens Clinic, Myovant, Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw), Pantharei Bioscience, Partners Group, PregLem/Gideon Richter, Shieldler, Reproductive Biomedicine Online (RBMO), UpToDate. Marieke J.H. Wermer is supported by the Dutch Research Council (Aspasia grant and ZonMw/NWO, Vidi Grant 91717337). Gisela M. Terwindt reports consultancy or industry support from Novartis, Lilly and Teva, Allergan/Abbvie, and Lundbeck and independent support from the European Community, Dutch Heart Foundation, IRRF, Dioraphte, and Dutch Brain Council. Further, she received independent support from the Dutch Research Council (849200007), Dutch Brain Foundation (HA2017.01.05), and support from Alnylam and Biogen. The latter two companies contribute to a consortium that funds the running costs of a natural history study on D-CAA. Antoinette Maassen Van Den Brink received research grants and/or consultation fees from Allergan, Amgen/Novartis, Eli Lilly, Teva and ATI, and was supported by the Dutch Research Council (ZonMw/NWO, Vici Grant 09150181910040)., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The objective of this study was to aggregate data for the first genomewide association study meta-analysis of cluster headache, to identify genetic risk variants, and gain biological insights., Methods: A total of 4,777 cases (3,348 men and 1,429 women) with clinically diagnosed cluster headache were recruited from 10 European and 1 East Asian cohorts. We first performed an inverse-variance genomewide association meta-analysis of 4,043 cases and 21,729 controls of European ancestry. In a secondary trans-ancestry meta-analysis, we included 734 cases and 9,846 controls of East Asian ancestry. Candidate causal genes were prioritized by 5 complementary methods: expression quantitative trait loci, transcriptome-wide association, fine-mapping of causal gene sets, genetically driven DNA methylation, and effects on protein structure. Gene set and tissue enrichment analyses, genetic correlation, genetic risk score analysis, and Mendelian randomization were part of the downstream analyses., Results: The estimated single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based heritability of cluster headache was 14.5%. We identified 9 independent signals in 7 genomewide significant loci in the primary meta-analysis, and one additional locus in the trans-ethnic meta-analysis. Five of the loci were previously known. The 20 genes prioritized as potentially causal for cluster headache showed enrichment to artery and brain tissue. Cluster headache was genetically correlated with cigarette smoking, risk-taking behavior, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, and musculoskeletal pain. Mendelian randomization analysis indicated a causal effect of cigarette smoking intensity on cluster headache. Three of the identified loci were shared with migraine., Interpretation: This first genomewide association study meta-analysis gives clues to the biological basis of cluster headache and indicates that smoking is a causal risk factor. ANN NEUROL 2023;94:713-726., (© 2023 The Authors. Annals of Neurology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Neurological Association.)

Background: This longitudinal cohort study aimed to investigate changes in migraine-related outcomes following COVID-19 infection and vaccination., Methods: We identified 547 clinically diagnosed migraine patients from the Leiden Headache Center who kept a headache E-diary during the COVID-19 pandemic (February 2020 to August 2022). We sent a questionnaire to register their COVID-19 infection and/or vaccination dates. After applying inclusion criteria, n = 59 participants could be included in the infection analysis and n = 147 could be included in the vaccination analysis. Primary outcome was the change in monthly migraine days (MMD) between 1 month prior and 1 month post COVID-19 infection or vaccination. Secondary outcome variables were change in monthly headache days (MHD) and monthly acute medication days (MAMD)., Results: Vaccination against COVID-19 was associated with an increase in MMD (1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.57-1.55; p  < 0.001), MHD (1.52; 95% CI = 0.91-2.14; p  < 0.001) and MAMD (0.72; 95% CI = 0.33-1.12; p  < 0.001) in the first month post-vaccination. COVID-19 infection solely increased the number of MAMD (1.11; 95% CI = 0.10-1.62; p  < 0.027), but no statistically significant differences in MMD or MHD were observed., Conclusions: Our findings imply that vaccination against COVID-19 is associated with an increase in migraine, indicating a possible role of inflammatory mediators in migraine pathophysiology.

Background: Matters of workplace harassment are an important issue. This issue needs to be recognized and studied to prevent occurrences. These important sensitive areas of effective workplace management are increasingly gaining more interest. We aimed to identify the prevalence of workplace sexual, verbal and physical harassment among headache professionals., Methods: We adopted a cross‑sectional exploratory survey approach with quantitative design. The survey was distributed electronically among headache healthcare and research professionals globally through the International Headache Society (IHS)., Results: Data were obtained from 579 respondents (55.3%; 320/579 women). A large percentage of respondents (46.6%; 270/579) had experienced harassment; specifically, 16.1% (93/578) reported sexual harassment, 40.4% (234/579) verbal harassment and 5.5% (32/579) physical harassment. Women were almost seven times more likely to experience sexual harassment compared to men (odds ratio = 6.8; 95% confidence interval = 3.5-13.2). Although women did also more frequently report other types of harassment, this was not statistically significant (odds ratio = 1.4; 95% confidence interval = 1.0-2.0)., Conclusions: Lifetime exposure to workplace harassment is prevalent among headache professionals, especially in women. The present study uncovers a widespread issue and calls for strategies to be implemented for building a healthy and safe workplace environment.

The quality of clinical trials is essential to advance treatment, inform regulatory decisions and meta-analysis. With the increased incidence of idiopathic intracranial hypertension and the emergence of clinical trials for novel therapies in this condition, the International Headache Society Guidelines for Controlled Clinical Trials in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension aims to establish guidelines for designing state-of-the-art controlled clinical trials for idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy, which is defined by cerebrovascular deposition of amyloid β, is a common age-related small vessel pathology associated with intracerebral haemorrhage and cognitive impairment. Based on complementary lines of evidence from in vivo studies of individuals with hereditary, sporadic, and iatrogenic forms of cerebral amyloid angiopathy, histopathological analyses of affected brains, and experimental studies in transgenic mouse models, we present a framework and timeline for the progression of cerebral amyloid angiopathy from subclinical pathology to the clinical manifestation of the disease. Key stages that appear to evolve sequentially over two to three decades are (stage one) initial vascular amyloid deposition, (stage two) alteration of cerebrovascular physiology, (stage three) non-haemorrhagic brain injury, and (stage four) appearance of haemorrhagic brain lesions. This timeline of stages and the mechanistic processes that link them have substantial implications for identifying disease-modifying interventions for cerebral amyloid angiopathy and potentially for other cerebral small vessel diseases., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests EAK reports funding from the Dutch CAA Foundation, Dutch Alzheimer Foundation, Dutch Heart Foundation, and KNAW van Leersum. SJvV reports funding from Therini Bio. MJPvO reports funding to his institution from Alnylam and Biogen, research funding from Phillips, and an unpaid leadership role for ISMRM study group on Neurofluids. MAAvW reports funding to her institution from Alnylam and Biogen. HRS reports funding to his institution from Alnylam and Biogen and lecture honoraria for ACNEM practitioners. ZS reports funding from the Alzheimer's society of Canada. MAvB reports funding to his institution from Alnylam and Biogen and research funding from Phillips. GMT reports funding to her institution from Alynlam and Biogen. EES reports consulting fees from Eli Lilly. DJW reports consulting fees from Alnylam and NovoNordisk; honoraria from NovoNordisk, Bayer, and Alexion; and unpaid leadership roles with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the British & Irish Association of Stroke Physicians. MJHW reports funding to her institution from Alynlam and Biogen. SMG reports support from the Frechette Foundation and an unpaid leadership role for the International CAA Association., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)