Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33888080›Full record

ArticleBMC neurology2021

Effectiveness of medication in cluster headache.

Johannes Drescher, Andreas Khouri, Tina Katharina Amann, Charly Gaul, Peter Kropp, Yannic Siebenhaar, Jörg Scheidt

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC neurology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. 15. Cluster Headache.Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Johannes DrescherInstitute of Information Systems, University of Applied Sciences Hof, Hof, Germany.
Andreas KhouriInstitute of Information Systems, University of Applied Sciences Hof, Hof, Germany.
Tina Katharina AmannInstitute of Information Systems, University of Applied Sciences Hof, Hof, Germany.
Charly GaulMigraine and Headache Clinic Königstein, Königstein, Germany.
Peter KroppInstitute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.
Yannic SiebenhaarInstitute of Information Systems, University of Applied Sciences Hof, Hof, Germany.
Jörg ScheidtInstitute of Information Systems, University of Applied Sciences Hof, Hof, Germany. jscheidt@acm.org.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe aim of this work is to analyze the reports on cluster headache attacks collected online in the citizen science project CLUE with respect to the effectiveness of drugs taken during the attacks. The collection of data within the framework of citizen science projects opens up the possibility of investigating the effectiveness of acute medication on the basis of a large number of individual attacks instead of a simple survey of patients.

methodsData from 8369 cluster headache attacks, containing information about acute medication taken and the assessment of its effect, were collected from 133 participants using an online platform and a smartphone app. Chi-square tests were used to investigate whether the effect of the three recommended acute drugs differs when distinguishing between participants with chronic or episodic cluster headache. Furthermore, it was investigated whether there are differences between smokers and non-smokers in the assessment of the effect of the acute medication.

resultsOur participants rated the effectiveness of sumatriptan 6 mg s.c. as significantly better than oxygen and zolmitriptan nasal spray. Oxygen is considered to be significantly better in episodic versus chronic cluster headache, and sumatriptan is considered to be significantly better in chronic versus episodic cluster headache. Smokers rate the effect of oxygen as significantly better than non-smokers.

conclusionsDespite some methodological limitations, web-based data collection is able to support findings from clinical trials in a real world setting about effectiveness of acute cluster headache treatment in several situations.

Indexed as

Cluster HeadacheHumansOxazolidinonesSerotonin Receptor AgonistsSumatriptanTryptaminesOxazolidinonesSerotonin Receptor AgonistsSumatriptanTryptamineszolmitriptanAcute medicationCitizen scienceCluster headacheEffectiveness

Identifiers

PMID33888080
PMCPMC8061078

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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.