ArticleThe journal of headache and pain2021
Deterioration of headache impact and health-related quality of life in migraine patients after cessation of preventive treatment with CGRP(-receptor) antibodies.
Article in The journal of headache and pain, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 22 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Methodological considerations on real-world evidence studies of monoclonal antibodies against the CGRP-pathway for migraine: a systematic review.The journal of headache and pain · 2023Pooled it
- Cost-Utility Analysis of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Monoclonal Antibodies for Patients with Episodic Migraine Headache in the USA.PharmacoEconomics · 2026Article
- Costs and use of antimigraine drugs in Italy: a ten-year analysis of national data.The European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care · 2026Article
- Article
- Drugs for Migraine Prophylaxis.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2026Review
- CGRP and Migraine: Real-World Insights and Future Therapeutic Directions.Annual review of medicine · 2026Review
- Impact of anti-CGRP monoclonal antibodies on treatment satisfaction and quality of life in patients with resistant migraine: a retrospective real-world study.BMC neurology · 2025Article
- Migraine treatment with CGRP monoclonal antibodies: patient evaluation of a mandatory treatment holiday in Belgium.Acta neurologica Belgica · 2025Article
- Ten open questions in migraine prophylaxis with monoclonal antibodies blocking the calcitonin-gene related peptide pathway: a narrative review.The journal of headache and pain · 2023Review
- Migraine: from pathophysiology to treatment.Journal of neurology · 2023Review
- [Consensus statement of the migraine and headache societies (DMKG, ÖKSG, and SKG) on the duration of pharmacological migraine prophylaxis].Der Nervenarzt · 2023Review
- [CGRP antibodies in migraine prophylaxis : The new standard in migraine treatment?]Schmerz (Berlin, Germany) · 2022Article
- Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMigraine preventive treatment with CGRP(-receptor) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has a positive effect on patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The German treatment guidelines recommend discontinuing successful treatment with CGRP(-receptor) mAbs after 6-12 months. We aimed to evaluate headache-specific and generic HRQoL for three months after discontinuation of CGRP(-receptor) mAb treatment.
methodsWe conducted a prospective, longitudinal cohort study, including patients with migraine after 8-12 months of therapy with a CGRP(-R) mAb and before a planned discontinuation attempt. HRQoL was assessed at the time of the last mAbs injection (V1), eight weeks later (V2), and sixteen weeks later (V3). For headache-specific HRQoL, we used the Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6). Generic HRQoL was determined with the EuroQol-5-Dimension-5-Level (ED-5D-5L) form, and the Short-Form 12 (SF-12), which comprises a Physical Component Summary (PCS-12) and a Mental Component Summary (MCS-12). Questionnaires' total scores were compared across the three observation points using nonparametric procedures.
resultsThe study cohort consisted of n = 61 patients (n = 29 treated with the CGRP-receptor mAb erenumab and n = 32 with the CGRP mAbs galcanezumab or fremanezumab). The HIT-6 sum score was 59.69 ± 6.90 at V1 and increased by 3.69 ± 6.21 at V3 (p < 0.001), indicating a greater headache impact on patients' lives. The mean total EQ-D5-L5 score declined from 0.85 ± 0.17 at V1 by - 0.07 ± 0.18 at V3 (p = 0.013). Both Mental and Physical Component Scores of the SF-12 worsened significantly during treatment discontinuation: The PCS-12 total score decreased by - 4.04 ± 7.90 from V1 to V3 (p = 0.013) and the MCS-12 score by - 2.73 ± 9.04 (p = 0.003). Changes in all questionnaires' scores but the MCS-12 were already significant in the first month of the drug holiday (V2).
conclusionsOur results show a significant decline in headache impact and generic HRQoL of migraine patients after treatment discontinuation of a CGRP(-R) mAb. The observed deterioration is above the established minimally clinically important differences for each of the questionnaires and can therefore be considered clinically meaningful. Monitoring HRQoL during a discontinuation attempt could facilitate the decision whether or not to resume preventive treatment with CGRP(-R) mAbs.
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