Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40722265›Full record

ReviewBrain sciences2025

Sphenopalatine Ganglion Blocks in Headache Management: A Review.

Andrei Lyle Bautista, Killian Coyne, Alexander Bautista, Alaa Abd-Elsayed

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Brain sciences, 2025. 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. Article
  2. Assessment and Management of Post-traumatic Headache.Current neurology and neuroscience reports · 2026
    Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
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

4 authors.

Andrei Lyle BautistaSchool of Public Health and Information Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.ORCID 0009-0006-2067-9462
Killian CoyneDivision of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
Alexander BautistaDepartment of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
Alaa Abd-ElsayedChronic Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53792, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Headache disorders are among the most prevalent and disabling neurological conditions worldwide, affecting more than three billion individuals and contributing to a substantial socioeconomic burden. Despite the availability of pharmacologic treatments such as triptans, NSAIDs, and CGRP monoclonal antibodies, a significant proportion of patients remain refractory or intolerant to these therapies. The sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG), a parasympathetic neural structure in the pterygopalatine fossa, is increasingly recognized as a critical node in the pathophysiology of primary headache disorders. SPG blocks-using local anesthetics, neurolytic agents, or electrical neuromodulation-offer a minimally invasive therapeutic approach by disrupting nociceptive transmission and autonomic activation. This narrative review synthesizes the anatomical and physiological rationale for SPG intervention, details various procedural techniques, evaluates clinical evidence across headache subtypes, and explores future research directions. Conditions covered include migraine, cluster headache, tension-type headache, trigeminal neuralgia, and persistent idiopathic facial pain. With expanding evidence and evolving technologies, SPG-targeted interventions have the potential to reshape the management of refractory headaches and facial pain syndromes.

Indexed as

cluster headachecraniofacial painfacial painheadachemigraineneuromodulationrefractory headacheSPG blocksphenopalatine gangliontrigeminal neuralgia

Identifiers

PMID40722265
PMCPMC12293583

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.