New device offers hope for migraine sufferers: research

By Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor Published: 7:15AM GMT 04 March 2010

Migraines could be relieved with a handheld device that delivers captivating beat to brain, researchers say. Photo: ANDREW CROWLEY

The commentary have been hailed as a "major step forward" in the diagnosis of migraine that strikes one in 4 women and one in twelve men in Britain.

Researchers found that people who suffered from migraine "with aura", when spots in front of the eyes or pins and needles convey the headache, can good from the treatment.

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Scientists are vehement since the device offers an pick to absolute painkillers that do not work for a little patients or cannot be tolerated.

A group from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, America, gave 200 migraine sufferers matching devices, finished by Neuralieve in California, to make make make make use of of of of when they felt a migraine entrance on.

The investigate published in Lancet Neurology found in half of them the device delivered a captivating beat and the others buzzed and vibrated in the same approach but did not furnish a pulse.

After dual hours 40 per cent of those with the genuine device pronounced they did not have any suffering compared with twenty-two per cent of those with the assume device.

There were no side goods and the patients found the device easy to use. The outcome lasted for 48 hours.

It is right away hoped the technique called single-pulse transcranial captivating kick can suggest a genuine pick to painkillers for migraine sufferers with aura.

Around one in 4 of all migraine sufferers have aura.

Lead writer Dr Richard Lipton, of the Departments of Neurology, Epidemiology, and Population Health, said: "Although the expect mechanisms of migraine sojourn underneath study, administration department of sTMS in people with migraine with aura decreases course of the conflict in a little individuals…and could be a earnest strident treatment.

"Our commentary are applicable in perspective of the disabling inlet of migraine. For patients who ordinarily have aura as a vigilance of an imminent migraine, diagnosis with sTMS might cancel course of the conflict and moderate disabling suffering and alternative symptoms."

It is not well known how the device affects migraine as the causes of the headaches are still underneath review but it is thought to interrupt the electrical signals in the brain.

In an concomitant Comment, Hans-Christoph Diener from University Hospital Essen in Germany said: "The make make make make use of of of of of TMS could be a vital step brazen in the diagnosis of migraine with aura, quite in patients in whom currently accessible drug diagnosis is ineffective, feeble tolerated, or contraindicated.

"Despite certain formula in the benefaction hearing most investigate questions sojourn unanswered and some-more investigate is required."

He pronounced since the diagnosis could theoretically trigger seizures, patients with epileptic fit should not be treated with colour until serve investigate is done.

He combined that even though the device is small and portable, somewhat not as big than a shoebox, so patients could make make make make use of of of of it at home it would not fit in a handbag, for example.

The investigate was saved by Neuralieve.