ReviewCNS neuroscience & therapeutics2011
The use of antidepressants for headache prophylaxis.
Review in CNS neuroscience & therapeutics, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 70 citations in OpenAlex.
- Acupuncture versus tricyclic antidepressants in the prophylactic treatment of tension-type headaches: an indirect treatment comparison meta-analysis.The journal of headache and pain · 2024Pooled it
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) for the prevention of tension-type headache in adults.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2015Pooled it
- Migraine immune cell gene targets and their relationship to psychiatric disorders.The journal of headache and pain · 2026Article
- Pharmacological mechanisms underlying neurovascular alterations related to resistant and refractory migraine: CGRP pathways and beyond.The journal of headache and pain · 2026Review
- Review
- Research hotspots and trends on acupuncture treatment for headache: a bibliometric analysis from 2003 to 2023.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2024Article
- Psychosomatic symptoms related to exacerbation of fatigue in patients with medically unexplained symptoms.Journal of general and family medicine · 2023Article
- Roads Less Traveled: Sexual Dimorphism and Mast Cell Contributions to Migraine Pathology.Frontiers in immunology · 2016Review
- [Formalized consensus: clinical practice recommendations for the management of the migraine in African adult patients].The Pan African medical journal · 2016Review
- Article
- Persistent orthostatic headache without intracranial hypotension: which treatment?Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2015Article
- Treatment of PTSD and Chronic Daily Headache.Current treatment options in neurology · 2014Article
- Blockade of Nav1.8 currents in nociceptive trigeminal neurons contributes to anti-trigeminovascular nociceptive effect of amitriptyline.Neuromolecular medicine · 2014Article
- Drug repositioning: playing dirty to kill pain.CNS drugs · 2014Review
- Article
- Antidepressant use and risk for preeclampsia.Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.) · 2013Article
- Effect of amitriptyline on tetrodotoxin-resistant Nav1.9 currents in nociceptive trigeminal neurons.Molecular pain · 2013Article
- Migraine and depression: bidirectional co-morbidities?Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2012Review
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The focus of this review is on the efficacy of antidepressants as preventive treatments for migraine and chronic tension-type headache (TTH). Pharmacologic prophylaxis may be indicated for patients with frequent headaches, who respond insufficiently to acute therapies, or for whom medication overuse is a concern. The well-documented efficacy of the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline, both for migraine and chronic TTH, has been followed by widespread use of other antidepressants for headache prophylaxis. Although antidepressants in general share comparable efficacy for the treatment of depressive disorders, their efficacy as headache preventives varies widely. Evidence supporting use of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors as headache preventives is poor; their use should be reserved for treating comorbid depression in a patient who also has a headache disorder. Small randomized trials of venlafaxine indicate preliminary efficacy both for migraine and tension-type headache. Evidence for other antidepressants is lacking. Although antidepressants are often prescribed to headache patients under the assumption that the prescribed agent also will be effective in reducing symptoms of comorbid depression, the majority of studies have failed to find a strong relationship between depression symptoms and headache improvement. Suggestions for future research are discussed.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.