A portabile electronic device designed to provide relief from migraine pain has proven to be safe and effective in eliminating headaches when administered during the onset of the migraines.
Migraines are characterized by recurrent, often excruciatingly painful headaches. Migraines are classified by type, the most common of which are migraine with and without aura. Migraines with aura involve pain preceded by abnormalities in neurobiological function, most commonly visual disturbances.
Migraines without aura are characterized by attacks of unusually intense, temporarily disabling head pain often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. Patients may suffer from migraines with aura, migraines without aura, or both. Up to 30% of migraine sufferers experience migraines with aura.
It is estimated that nearly 30 million Americans suffer from migraines, more than half report severe impairment or require bed rest during their episodes
Migraines are typically treated with acute drug therapy, most often with a class of agents known as triptans. It’s estimated that as many as 40 percent of patients do not respond well to triptans.. Certain commonly prescribed medications may have the unintended effect of increasing the frequency of migraine attacks, and they can cause serious cardiovascular side effects
The noninvasive transcranial magnetic stimulator (TMS) device interrupts the aura phase of the migraine, often described as electrical storms in the brain, before they lead to headaches.
Previous studies using a heavy and bulky TMS device reduced headache pain. To expedite treatment at home, a portable hand-held device, which delivers single pulse TMS treatment was developed and tested.
The TMS device sends a strong electric current through a metal coil, which creates an intense magnetic field for about one millisecond. This magnetic pulse, when held against a person’s head, creates an electric current in the neurons of the brain, interrupting the aura before it results in a throbbing headache.
The randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, sham-controlled clinical study at 16 centers studied the use of the portable TMS device for treating migraines with aura. Of the 164 patients involved, 39 percent were pain free at the two-hour post-treatment point, compared to 22 percent in the group receiving “sham” pulses. The study demonstrated that for migraines with aura, treatment with the non-invasive TMS treatment system is superior to sham treatment, and led to patients being pain-free at 2 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours. The trial also confirmed the safety of the TMS device.
References:
1. Yousef Mohammad, et al. Ohio State University Medical Center.
2. Neuralieve Press Release.
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