Cefaly Neurostimulation Therapy For Intractable Migraine Patients

Background & Objective: Migraine is a common neurological disorder affecting one billion people worldwide, causing disability, reduced quality of life, and high economic costs.Medical treatments have often limited efficacy and side effects.Non-pharmacological options such as trigeminal nerve stimulation with devices such as Cefaly offer alternatives.This study assesses effectiveness of Cefaly's in reducing uncontrolled migraine symptoms alongside standard medications. Materials & Methods:This study included 20 patients with migraine, with or without aura, intractable to conventional treatments.Participants used the Cefaly device in addition to regular medication for external trigeminal nerve stimulation on the forehead.Migraine frequency, severity, and duration were assessed over one month using pre-and post-intervention questionnaires, with data analyzed by nonparametric methods due to the small sample size. Results:The proportion of participants experiencing severe attacks dropped from 45% to 15% (P = 0.037).The frequency of attacks was reduced, with the percentage of participants having 3-5 attacks per month falling from 75% to 45%, and those with more than 5 attacks per month declining to 0% (P = 0.038).Attack duration also decreased, with a reduction in attacks lasting 12-24 hours from 35% to 20%, and those lasting more than 24 hours from 45% to 15% (P = 0.002). Conclusion:Cefaly could effectively reduce the severity, frequency, and duration of headaches in patients who do not respond conventional treatments, suggesting it as a promising non-pharmacological option.Further research with larger samples and longer follow-up is needed to confirm these findings and assess long-term efficacy.